Tag Archives: Japan

Chinese Nuclear Plants Release More Tritium Than Fukushima?!

Do Chinese nuclear power stations really release 10X more tritium than the Fukushima-Daiichi NPS?!

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

 

Claim : Chinese Nuclear Plants Release 10X More Tritium Than Fukushima!

People are sharing articles claiming that Chinese nuclear power stations actually release 10X more tritium than the Fukushima-Daiichi NPS! Here are some excerpts:

The Japan Times : Tritium in Chinese nuclear wastewater above Fukushima levels

The amount of radioactive tritium in wastewater from Chinese nuclear plants, recorded at 13 of the nation’s monitoring points in 2021, surpassed the maximum allowable annual amount of the material contained in treated water set to be released from the Fukushima No. 1 plant, according to public data.

In addition, this infographic has gone viral on social media, showing how four Chinese nuclear power stations are discharging 4X to 6.5X more tritium than the Fukushima NPS.

Recommended : Singapore Refutes WSJ Radioactive Japan Food Podcast!

 

Truth : Chinese Nuclear Plants Release MORE Tritium Than Fukushima!

This is a rare example of viral TRUE NEWS about the release of treated waste water from the Fukushima NPS, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : The Articles Are By Mainstream Media

First, let me just point out that many of those articles being shared are by Japanese mainstream media outlets.

While the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens are promoting the perception that these Japanese media outlets are biased, they provided zero evidence to back up those claims.

Unlike your typical Twitter troll, or conspiracy websites; these are major media outlets that can be easily sued by the Chinese government if they posted misinformation. Yet, the Chinese government has done nothing. Why is that?

Fact #2 : Japan Previously Published Similar Data In March 2022

Interestingly, this data isn’t even new. The Japanese government, for example, published a summary of the annual tritium discharge of several nuclear power stations around the world on 31 March 2022.

In its summary, the Japanese government maintained that the target tritium level of the treated waste water to be discharged at Fukushima would not exceed 22 trillion Becquerels per year.

This level would be higher than what the Brunswick NPS in North Carolina, the United States, but lower than many other nuclear power stations in France, China, South Korea, and Canada.

In fact, Fukushima would release 10X less tritium than the Darlington NPS in Canada, and 1/500th of the tritium released annually by the La Hague reprocessing plant in France.

Recommended : Did Yasuhiro Sonoda Die After Drinking Fukushima Water?!

Fact #3 : Latest Data Was From China Nuclear Energy Yearbook 2022

The news report did not mention where the data came from, but after much digging, I found an 18 August 2023 IAEA circular (PDF download), which revealed the source:

[N]umerous operating nuclear facilities around the world, including nuclear reactors in the People’s Republic of China, discharge more tritium on an annual basis than the tritium contained in ALPS treated water from FDNPS.

For instance, the amount of tritium to be released annually from FDNPS is approximately 1/10 (one-tenth) of the amount of tritium released from Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in the People’s Republic of China.

The source of that information…. <drumroll please…> was the China Nuclear Energy Yearbook 2022.

Fact #4 : Data Is Backed By Official Chinese Report

Unfortunately, the China Nuclear Energy Yearbook 2022 does not appear to be available online. However, I was able to locate an official Chinese government report for the IAEA that was published in July 2017.

The report, titled The People’s Republic of China Fourth National Report for the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, can be downloaded here – PDF download.

The official Chinese report clearly shows that the Qinshan nuclear power plant discharged an average of 319 trillion Becquerels per year into the Hangzhou Bay.

That is about 14.5X higher than the amount of tritium the Japanese government is limiting for the discharge of treated waste water at Fukushima.

Qinshan NPP Tritium
Discharge Limit
Tritium
Discharge *
2014 87.988 % 307.958 trillion Bq
2015 96.847 % 338.9645 trillion Bq
2016 88.589 % 310.0615 trillion Bq

* Calculated from the discharge in %, based on the annual tritium discharge limit of 3.5E+14 for heavy water reactors in China.

Recommended : EU + Japan Have Secret Agreement To Re-Export Seafood?!

Fact #5 : Data Backed By Chinese Study

I was also able to locate a 2019 study (PDF download) conducted by Chinese scientists called “Analysis on the emission of tritium from Qinshan nuclear power base of china in recent ten years“.

Interestingly, this study showed ten years of data that showed how much the Qinshan power station was releasing, not only into the Hangzhou Bay water, but also into the air!

Qinshan NPP Tritium In
Gaseous
Effluents
(trillion Bq)
Tritium In
Liquid
Effluents
(trillion Bq)
Total Tritium
Effluents
(trillion Bq)
2007 46.0629 84.220 130.2829
2008 56.564 93.381 149.945
2009 35.835 74.210 110.045
2010 40.387 76.010 116.397
2011 41.245 87.790 129.035
2012 39.636 87.690 127.326
2013 57.196 114.990 172.186
2014 84.799 137.560 222.359
2015 74.300 147.650 221.95
2016 117.900 179.200 297.100

Regardless of the source – official Chinese IAEA report, or the Chinese study, it is obvious that the Qinshan nuclear power plant releases many times more tritium into the sea and the air, than what Fukushima will release into the sea.

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

 

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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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Singapore Just Found NEW Radioactive Food From Japan?!

Did Singapore just detect more radioactive food from Japan, after the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power station?!

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

Updated @ 2023-09-04 : Added Singapore Food Agency’s announcement
Originally posted @ 2023-09-03

 

Claim : Singapore Found NEW Radioactive Food From Japan!

This message is being actively promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens on WhatsApp and social media:

Singapore said it found radioactive contamination in four samples of vegetables imported from Japan and has extended the ban to food from two more Japanese prefectures.

Singapore’s Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority said radioactive contamination was found in Mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley), Nanohana (rapeseed plant), Mizuna (Japanese mustard) and perilla leaf samples.”

More Countries Ban Import of Japanese Food – With more countries detecting radioactive contamination in food imported from Japan, efforts to prevent it spreading through the global food chain have gained a new urgency (Wall Street Journal, 8/24/2023)

Recommended : The Highly Radioactive Japanese Food Video Explained!

 

Truth : Singapore Did Not Find NEW Radioactive Food From Japan!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created or promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : WSJ Podcast Is Genuine But Outdated

First, let me just confirm that the Wall Street Journal podcast and transcript is genuine, and was posted on 24 August 2023, at 6:42 PM (local time).

However, that was just an audio clip and transcript of an old WSJ article (now removed) that was originally posted on 25 March 2011 – more than 12 years ago!

Fact #2 : Podcast Was Released Same Day As Wastewater Release

It is unknown why the Wall Street Journal chose to publish this podcast and transcript from their old 2011 story, but it was released on the same day the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station started releasing its treated wastewater.

If there was any detection of radioactive food from Japan, it would have happened at least a day or two earlier, and would not have anything to do with the release of the treated wastewater from the Fukushima NPS.

Recommended : Fukushima Waste Water Release : Should You Worry?!

Fact #3 : Singapore Food Agency Refuted WSJ Podcast!

On 3 September 2023, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) issued a public announcement (PDF download) to refute the Wall Street Journal podcast which claimed that it found new samples of radioactive vegetables fin Japan.

SFA stated that it had not found any new contaminated vegetables from Japan. Neither did the SGA ban any food products from any Japanese prefectures recently.

The SFA also stated that it monitors all food imports, and will take action if any food imports were found to be unsafe or unsuitable for consumption.

Clarification on circulating article/podcast regarding import of Japanese food products

In response to media queries regarding a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article/podcast titled “More Countries Ban Import of Japanese Food”, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has clarified that it has not found samples of contaminated vegetables from Japan or banned food products from any Japanese prefectures recently. The WSJ podcast has referred to a media release by the former Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) in 2011. This has since been overtaken by events.

We wish to reiterate that SFA adopts a science-based approach towards assessing food safety risks. Food imported into Singapore is subjected to SFA’s surveillance and monitoring regime, which includes radiation surveillance and enforcement actions will be taken should any food imports be found to be unsafe or unsuitable for consumption.

Recommended : Did Fukushima Just Release Black Radioactive Water?!

Fact #4 : Singapore AVA Announcement Was From 2011

The announcement by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore was not posted in August 2023, but over 12 years ago – on 24 March 2011 (PDF download).

DETECTION OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS IN FOUR SAMPLES OF VEGETABLES FROM JAPAN – AVA SUSPENDS IMPORT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM ADDITIONAL TWO PREFECTURES

Radioactive contaminants have been detected in four samples of vegetables from Japan. The contaminated samples were imported from the affected prefectures of Tochigi and Ibaraki, as well as Chiba and Ehime which are outside the affected areas. The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) will extend its suspension on the import of all fruits and vegetables to include Chiba and Ehime with immediate effect.

Issued by Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority On 24 Mar 2011

Fact #5 : Singapore Did Not Ban Japanese Food Imports

Despite the release of the Fukushima waste water, Singapore has not initiated any new import ban of food from Japan.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) stated that there will be “no immediate ban on seafood from Japan” following the release of the treated Fukushima wastewater.

Recommended : Truth About FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food!

Fact #6 : Singapore Has Not Detected Radioactive Food From Japan

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) stated that its surveillance of the safety of food from Japan has been satisfactory. It has not detected any radioactive contaminant in food imports from Japan since 2013.

In fact, Singapore lifted pre-export tests and Certificate of Origin requirements on approved food imports from the Fukushima prefecture on May 28, 2021.

Even so, the SFA continues to closely monitor food imports from Japan to ensure that they comply with Singapore’s food safety requirements.

Fact #7 : This Is Just Fake News About Fukushima

There is no doubt that Japan is facing a LOT of criticism over its release of the Fukushima waste water, even though IAEA and many experts have endorsed the plan.

However, this is just another example of FAKE NEWS being created around the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Here are other examples I fact checked earlier:

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

 

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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Go Back To > Fact Check | HealthTech ARP

 

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Singapore Refutes WSJ Radioactive Japan Food Podcast!

The Singapore Food Agency just refuted a podcast by the Wall Street Journal that it found new radioactive food samples, and extended its ban on food imports from Japan!

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

 

Claim : Singapore Found New Radioactive Food From Japan!

This message (with a link to the WSJ podcast) went viral on WhatsApp and social media:

Singapore said it found radioactive contamination in four samples of vegetables imported from Japan and has extended the ban to food from two more Japanese prefectures.

Singapore’s Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority said radioactive contamination was found in Mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley), Nanohana (rapeseed plant), Mizuna (Japanese mustard) and perilla leaf samples.”

More Countries Ban Import of Japanese Food – With more countries detecting radioactive contamination in food imported from Japan, efforts to prevent it spreading through the global food chain have gained a new urgency (Wall Street Journal, 8/24/2023)

Recommended : Singapore Just Found More Radioactive Food From Japan?!

 

Singapore Refutes WSJ Radioactive Japan Food Podcast!

The Wall Street Journal podcast and transcript is genuine, and was posted on 24 August 2023, at 6:42 PM (local time). However, that was just an audio clip and transcript of an old WSJ article (now removed) that was originally posted on 25 March 2011 – more than 12 years ago!

It is unknown why the Wall Street Journal chose to publish this podcast and transcript from their old 2011 story, but it was released on the same day the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station started releasing its treated wastewater.

If there was any detection of radioactive food from Japan, it would have happened at least a day or two earlier, and would not have anything to do with the release of the treated wastewater from the Fukushima NPS.

Recommended : Fukushima Waste Water Release : Should You Worry?!

On 3 September 2023, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) issued a public announcement (PDF download) to refute the Wall Street Journal podcast which claimed that it found new samples of radioactive vegetables fin Japan.

SFA stated that it had not found any new contaminated vegetables from Japan. Neither did the SGA ban any food products from any Japanese prefectures recently.

The SFA also stated that it monitors all food imports, and will take action if any food imports were found to be unsafe or unsuitable for consumption.

Clarification on circulating article/podcast regarding import of Japanese food products

In response to media queries regarding a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article/podcast titled “More Countries Ban Import of Japanese Food”, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has clarified that it has not found samples of contaminated vegetables from Japan or banned food products from any Japanese prefectures recently. The WSJ podcast has referred to a media release by the former Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) in 2011. This has since been overtaken by events.

We wish to reiterate that SFA adopts a science-based approach towards assessing food safety risks. Food imported into Singapore is subjected to SFA’s surveillance and monitoring regime, which includes radiation surveillance and enforcement actions will be taken should any food imports be found to be unsafe or unsuitable for consumption.

Recommended : Did Fukushima Just Release Black Radioactive Water?!

The announcement by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore was not posted in August 2023, but over 12 years ago – on 24 March 2011 (PDF download).

DETECTION OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS IN FOUR SAMPLES OF VEGETABLES FROM JAPAN – AVA SUSPENDS IMPORT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM ADDITIONAL TWO PREFECTURES

Radioactive contaminants have been detected in four samples of vegetables from Japan. The contaminated samples were imported from the affected prefectures of Tochigi and Ibaraki, as well as Chiba and Ehime which are outside the affected areas. The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) will extend its suspension on the import of all fruits and vegetables to include Chiba and Ehime with immediate effect.

Issued by Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority On 24 Mar 2011

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) had earlier stated that there will be “no immediate ban on seafood from Japan” following the release of the treated Fukushima wastewater.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) stated that its surveillance of the safety of food from Japan has been satisfactory. It has not detected any radioactive contaminant in food imports from Japan since 2013.

In fact, Singapore lifted pre-export tests and Certificate of Origin requirements on approved food imports from the Fukushima prefecture on May 28, 2021.

To be clear, Singapore has not initiated any new import ban of food from Japan.

Recommended : The Highly Radioactive Japanese Food Video Explained!

There is no doubt that Japan is facing a LOT of criticism over its release of the Fukushima waste water, even though IAEA and many experts have endorsed the plan.

However, this is just another example of FAKE NEWS being created around the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Here are other examples I fact checked earlier:

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

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | HealthTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Is BlackRock The Largest Shareholder Of TEPCO?!

Is the United States staying quiet about the release of Fukushima nuclear waste water because BlackRock is the largest shareholder of TEPCO?!

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

 

Claim : BlackRock Is The Largest TEPCO Shareholder!

This message is being actively promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens on WhatsApp and social media:

Who is behind the discharge of Fukushima NUCLEAR CONTAMINATED water?

In the war of aggression against China in the year 1900, it was not the Japanese government that first initiated the conflict with China, but a certain company. To put it bluntly, it was a Japanese company now renamed as ‘Tepco‘.

Many people may not know about Tepco, which is responsible for the discharge of nuclear sewage in Japan. Tepco is actually an “American company” like South Korea’s Samsung.

The largest shareholder of Tepco is BlackRock of Wall Street, and the second largest shareholder is also The pioneer of Wall Street, and Japan’s own Nomura Asset Management is only the third largest shareholder…

So can you understand why the Americans are silent in this incident? Because the affairs of Japan are the affairs of the United States. The decisions of the Japanese government and Japanese companies are the decisions of the United States.

The United States launches any form of “war” against China, whether it is a trade war, a technological war, a biological war or an environmental war… Japan They are all loyal lackeys and pawns.

The whole world is already at war.

US is using Japan in a proxy war by getting Japan to dump nuclear wastes near China and then ban all Jap seafood to make US absolutely safe from radiation.

Recommended : Did Fukushima Just Release Black Radioactive Water?!

 

Truth : BlackRock Is Not Even Top 10 TEPCO Shareholder!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created or promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Japanese Company Attacked China In 1900

In the first paragraph, the viral message claimed that an unnamed Japanese company attacked China in a “war of aggression in the year 1900”. That appears to be utter nonsense.

The Qing dynasty and the Empire of Japan fought the First Sino-Japanese War from 1894 to 1895. It was only 42 years later that the Empire of Japan would attack the Republic of China.

However, there is no evidence that any Japanese company ever attacked China in the year 1900.

Fact #2 : TEPCO Was Never Renamed

The viral message also claimed that TEPCO was renamed from that unnamed Japanese company which attacked China in the year 1900.

TEPCO – the Tokyo Electric Power Company, was only established in 1951 when the Allied occupation forces privatised Japan’s electricity sector.

Since its establishment on May 1, 1951, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has never been renamed. So the claim in the viral message that TEPCO was renamed is false.

Recommended : The Highly Radioactive Japanese Food Video Explained!

Fact #3 : Japanese Government Is Largest TEPCO Shareholder

The viral message also claimed that BlackRock is the largest shareholder of TEPCO. That’s not true.

The Japanese government is the largest and majority shareholder of TEPCO, with almost 55% ownership through the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation.

BlackRock isn’t even in the list of top 10 TEPCO shareholders (as of end of FY2021)! Take a look:

Top 10 TEPCO Shareholders Equity Share
(%)
Nuclear Damage Compensation and
Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation
54.74
The Master Trust Bank of Japan, Ltd. 6.28
Custody Bank of Japan, Ltd. 1.77
TEPCO Group Employees’
Stock Sharing Organization
1.50
Tokyo Metropolitan Government 1.20
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation 1.01
STATE STREET BANK WEST CLIENT
– TREATY 505234
0.75
Nippon Life Insurance Company 0.74
JP MORGAN CHASE BANK 385781 0.56
JP JPMSE LUX RE BARCLAYS
CAPITAL SEC LTD EQ CO
0.55
TOTAL 69.12

Fact #4 : Second Largest Shareholder Is Not Pioneer Of Wall Street

The viral message claimed that the second largest shareholder of TEPCO stock is “The pioneer of Wall Street” but does not mention which American company it was referring to.

In any case, the second largest shareholder is The Master Trust Bank of Japan – a Japanese trust bank. Certainly not an American company.

Fact #5 : Fukushima Is Releasing Waste Water Off Japanese Coast

The viral message also claimed that Japan is dumping its nuclear wastes near China. That’s false.

TEPCO is actually releasing the treated waste water from its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station about 1 km off the coast of Japan.

Fukushima is also located on the east coast of Japan. Not is the waste water being released on the far side of Japan, it is being released AWAY from China.

Recommended : Fukushima Waste Water Release : Should You Worry?!

Fact #6 : US Did Not Ban Japanese Seafood

The viral message also claimed that the United States banned Japanese seafood. That is also false.

In fact, the US FDA deactivated its Import Alert #99-33, which banned certain Japanese food products, in September 2021.

The US FDA has not reactivated that import ban. Neither has it ordered a new ban. That’s because it tested 51 samples for radionuclide contamination, and found no detectable levels of radioactive caesium.

Fact #7 : This Is Just Fake News About Fukushima

There is no doubt that Japan is facing a LOT of criticism over its release of the Fukushima waste water, even though IAEA and many experts have endorsed the plan.

However, this is just another example of FAKE NEWS being created around the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Here are other examples I fact checked earlier:

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

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | HealthTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

EU + Japan Have Secret Agreement To Re-Export Seafood?!

Is there a secret agreement between the EU and Japan to re-export contaminated seafood to other countries?! Here is what you need to know!

 

Claim : EU + Japan Have Secret Agreement To Re-Export Seafood!

People are sharing this message on WhatsApp and social media, claiming that there is a secret agreement between the EU and Japan to re-export contaminated seafood to other countries!

There is also a secret agreement between EU and the Japs for the EU to re-export the Jap contaminated sea products to other countries eg China, Asia, the Middle East, etc.

Above exposes that just before the Japanese discharges toxic nuclear wastes into the sea, the EU has decided to abolish the checking on imported (contaminated) Japanese seafood products! It’s clear that in the EU there is corruption and it’s also possible that they will secretly re-export the Japanese products to other countries! Thus China has also decided to suspend seafood imports from a number (12) of EU countries!

Thus, in order to ‘con’ the world, the EU simply re-labelled the Jap contaminated products as EU products and re-export them to other countries outside Europe!

It’s obvious that the Japs are paying EU regularly a considerable amount of bribes ( billions of Euros) for this service!

The greed of the whiteman & the evil Japs know no bounds. Do you want to gamble with the lives of your loved ones by consuming these radioactive products from Japan ❓Switch to local fresh fishes.

Recommended : Did Fukushima Just Release Black Radioactive Water?!

 

No Evidence EU + Japan Have Secret Agreement To Re-Export Seafood!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) to scare people into boycotting Japan and Japanese food, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : EU Lifted Final Fukushima Food Import Restrictions

This claim appears to be based on a 13 July 2023 decision by the European Union (EU) to lift its remaining restrictions on food imports from Japan after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The EU placed a strict maximum radioactivity level of 100 Bq/kg on food from Japan since June 2011, requiring pre-export testing of food products for radioactivity.

The EU only made this decision after finding that there was not even a single case of non-compliance over 12 years of monitoring food imports from Japan.

No non-compliances at the entry into the Union with those maximum radionuclide levels have been observed at import in the Union since June 2011, providing evidence that the control system put in place and the controls performed by the Japanese authorities are effective.

Let me repeat this – Japan has, not even once, exported any contaminated food items to the EU in the past 12 years.

Fact #2 : EU Progressively Reduced Fukushima Food Import Restrictions

It is also important to point out that the EU has reviewed its food import restrictions on Japan every two years, and has progressively lifted those restrictions .

In its last review on September 2021, the restrictions were only limited to wild mushrooms, some fish species, and wild edible plants from the prefectures of Fukushima, Miyagi,, Gunma, Yamanashi, Yamagata, Iwata, Shizuoka, Ibaraki, Nagano, and Niigata.

In other words, the EU had been progressively lifting food import restrictions on Japan, and only lifted its remaining restrictions on 13 July 2023. It was not like they suddenly lifted all food restrictions on that day.

Recommended : The Highly Radioactive Japanese Food Video Explained!

Fact #3 : China Did Not Suspend EU Seafood Imports

On 24 August 2023, China announced an immediate blanket ban on all seafood imports from Japan. However, the import ban does not affect non-seafood food imports from Japan like vegetables, fruits, or canned food.

There is no evidence that China suspended seafood imports from 12 EU countries over fears of radioactive seafood being re-exported from Japan.

Fact #4 : There Is No Evidence Of Any Secret EU + Japan Re-Export Plan

There is also no evidence at all that the European Union (EU) has any secret plan to re-export contaminated seafood from Japan to other countries.

Of course, you may be thinking – how would I know since this is a secret agreement? Well, where is the evidence there is such a secret agreement?

Did the viral message include any evidence of such an agreement between the EU and Japan? No. So why should YOU believe some random claim circulating on WhatsApp / social media, with zero evidence to back it up?

Recommended : Fukushima Waste Water Release : Should You Worry?!

Fact #5 : EU Seafood Re-Export Plan Not Logical

It is easy to claim that the EU is willing to help the Japanese re-export their contaminated seafood to other countries, but it’s really not logical.

For one thing – it is prohibitively expensive to export all those seafood to any European Union country, for re-export to China, Asia and the Middle East. It would also be quite impossible for EU countries to mask the Japan-native seafood species, and claim that they were caught in Europe!

Finally, such activities would be easily exposed by any importing country simply conducting radioactivity screening of imported food products.

Fact #5 : Japan Seafood Exports Are Only Worth €2.4 Billion

The claim that Japan is paying the EU billions of euros every year to re-export radioactive Japanese seafood is also not logical.

For one thing – the global export value of Japanese seafood in 2022 is only 387 billion yen, or about $2.6 billion / €2.4 billion.

Even if Japan exclusively exports ALL of its seafood to the EU to re-export to unsuspecting countries, it does not make financial sense to pay the EU a “bribe” of billions of euros to export only €2.4 billion worth of seafood!

Recommended : Did Hong Kong Just Ban All Food From Japan?!

Fact #7 : This Is Just Fake News About Fukushima

There is no doubt that Japan is facing a LOT of criticism over its release of the Fukushima waste water, even though IAEA and many experts have endorsed the plan.

However, this is just another example of FAKE NEWS being created around the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Here are other examples I fact checked earlier:

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

 

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.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Fact Check | HealthTech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

Fukushima Radioactive Water : What Makes It Different?

Is the radioactive water being discharged from the Fukushima nuclear plant really different from waste water from other nuclear plants?!

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

 

Fukushima Radioactive Water Is Different From Normal Nuclear Waste Water!

People are sharing a Greenpeace article, as evidence that the radioactive water from Fukushima is not the same as normal nuclear waste water, but far more toxic and dangerous. Here is an excerpt from that Greenpeace article:

How is Fukushima wastewater distinguished from other nuclear plants?

Recommended : Did Fukushima Just Release Black Radioactive Water?!

 

What Makes Fukushima Radioactive Water Different?

The Greenpeace article makes for a compelling read, but here are the reasons why it is no longer accurate.

Fact #1 : Greenpeace Posted This In April 2021

First, it is best to note that this Greenpeace article was written in April 2021 in reaction to the Japanese government’s publication of its plan to eventually discharge the Fukushima radioactive waste water into the ocean.

The problem is that article was written almost 2.5 years before Japan actually initiated its plan to release the treated radioactive waste water from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Since then, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and the Japanese government have provided additional data to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for its evaluation of the proposed plan to discharge treated radioactive waste water into the ocean.

Fact #2 : IAEA Released A Comprehensive Report

Right after announcing its waste water release plan in April 2021, the Japanese government requested that the IAEA conduct a detailed review of that plan, to ensure that it meets the relevant international safety standards.

The IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi accepted and established a task force to review the Japanese government’s plan to release the treated radioactive waste water. The task force was made up of top specialists from within the IAEA, and advised by internationally-recognised external experts from across the globe.

After two years of work, the IAEA publicly released its comprehensive report (PDF download) on 4 July 2023. The IAEA concluded that the plan to release treated water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea was “consistent with IAEA Safety Standards“.

Fact #3 : Fukushima Waste Water Is Filtered

It is true that the Fukushima waste water is different from normal nuclear waste water in that it has come into direct contact with radioactive material. Hence, it has many more radionuclides than normal nuclear waste water.

However, the heavily-contaminated waste water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is not going to be released directly into the ocean.

Instead, it will be filtered and treated using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), to remove 62 radionuclides from the contaminated water.

Recommended : Fukushima Waste Water Release : Should You Worry?!

Fact #4 : Fukushima Water Tanks Keep Leaking!

The Greenpeace article correctly points that there is a lot of radioactive water being stored at Fukushima Daiichi. In fact, there is currently about 1.3 million tonnes of radioactive water is stored in over 1,000 gigantic tanks!

Obviously, this is not a sustainable solution for TEPCO in the long-term, as they have to keep building new tanks, and old tanks will eventually leak. Or the water may be accidentally released.

  • In August 2013, TEPCO revealed that 300 metric tonnes of highly-radioactive water leaked from a storage tank.
  • In October 2013, TEPCO revealed that another tank was leaking, and some of the highly-radioactive water may have reached the ocean.
  • In February 2014, TEPCO revealed that a valve left open by mistake allowed about 100 tonnes of highly-radioactive water to overflow from a storage tank.
  • In October 2016, about 32 litres of highly-radioactive water leaked from a seam in a water tank.

Regardless of what we may think about the release of radioactive water into the ocean, it doesn’t appear to be practical to keep all that water in tanks that will eventually leak. Or even worse – get discharged all in one go, if there is another earthquake!

It is arguably much safer to treat and discharge the water, instead of risking these inevitable leaks of highly-radioactive water.

Fact #5 : Expected Exposure 1000X Lower Than Limit

For the purpose of the IAEA review, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan selected a dose constraint of 0.05 mSv (millisieverts) per year for someone exposed to the ALPS-treated water.

That is 20X lower than the “average accumulated background radiation dose of an individual for 1 year, exclusive of radon, in the United States“. In other words – very conservative.

The IAEA task force and TEPCO also assessed the exposure risk from within a 10 km x 10 km area surrounding the discharge point. Again, very conservative – because no one really would be foolish enough to fish from that area!

In the end, the amount of extra radioactivity that one might get from swimming in ALPS-treated water and ingesting seafood exposed to ALPS-treated water is less than 0.01 microsieverts. That’s about 5,000X lower than the NRA limit!

The IAEA report, however, is even more conservative in its evaluation:

[I]n all cases the doses are very low and more than 1000 times lower than the dose constraint of 0.05 mSv per year. 

Recommended : Truth About FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food

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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 Fukushima Just Release Black Radioactive Water?!

Was the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant caught releasing black radioactive water into the ocean?!

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

 

Claim : Fukushima Released Black Radioactive Water Into Ocean!

A video showing black water being discharged into the ocean has gone viral, with people claiming that it shows nuclear waste being disposed into the Pacific Ocean by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

👆Footage of the release of the Fukushima nuclear waste water into the sea. Apparently more than 7,000 liters are to be discharged from 24/8 and through the next 17 days…. The Japs are evil, look at the blackness of the fluids discharged!!

Give seafood a miss in the future!

Japan latest news..

Recommended : The Highly Radioactive Japanese Food Video Explained!

 

The Truth About Viral Fukushima Black Radioactive Water Video!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and/or shared by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens, to scare people into boycotting Japan and Japanese food, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Viral Video Was Not Edited

First, I should confirm that the viral video is genuine, and was not edited, or created by generative AI software.

However, the video has nothing to do with the discharge of radioactive waste water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Fact #2 : Viral Video Was Recorded In June 2020

For one thing – the viral video was recorded on June 25, 2020 – more than 3 years before the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started releasing its radioactive waste water on Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Fact #3 : Viral Video Was Recorded In Mexico

On top of that, the viral video was not even recorded in Japan! It was recorded from the balcony of a hotel in the famous beach resort town of Acapulco in Mexico, just off the Icacos Beach.

If you look carefully at the video, you can see leisure boats, beach chairs and the hotel’s swimming pool. This was obviously NOT recorded at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which is filled with gigantic water tanks holding radioactive waste water.

Recommended : Did Hong Kong Just Ban All Food From Japan?!

Fact #4 : That Was Sewage, Not Radioactive Water

The black water being discharged into the ocean was not radioactive water, but rather – smelly sewage!

Mexican state officials said that the high-pressure stream of raw sewage may have come from a broken sewer line, which potentially overflowed due to heavy rainfall in the last few days.

According to a witness, the filthy discharge lasted about 25 minutes, and was extremely smelly:

The constant outflow of black water lasted approximately 25 minutes, which came with a lot of pressure. They were very stinking waters, they made me nauseous.

Fact #5 : Fukushima Waste Water Is Filtered + Treated Before Release

To be clear – TEPCO isn’t going to just release the radioactive water into the ocean. The Fukushima waste water is being filtered using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to remove most of its radioactivity.

The ALPS uses a series of chemical reactions to remove 62 radionuclides from the contaminated water, leaving only tritium and carbon-14. Tritium and carbon-14 are radioactive forms of hydrogen and carbon, which makes them difficult to separate from water.

The treated waste water is then diluted with seawater to reduce the concentration of tritium and carbon-14 before it is released into the ocean.

The final level of tritium is estimated at 1,500 becquerels per litre, which is lower than what is required by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for release, and even lower than the WHO limit for drinking water.

Recommended : Truth About FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food

Fact #6 : Fukushima Waste Water To Be Released Over 30 Years

Most people are not aware that nuclear power plants around the world regularly release waste water containing higher tritium levels than the treated waste water from Fukushima.

Of course, TEPCO will be releasing A LOT MORE waste water than those power plants, having accumulated over 1.3 million tonnes over the last 12 years or so.

That’s why TEPCO will gradually release the treated Fukushima waste water into the Pacific Ocean over an extended period of 30 years.

According to molecular pathology expert Gerry Thomas, who worked with Japanese scientists on radiation research, and advised the IAEA on the Fukushima reports:

The water released will be a drop in the ocean, both in terms of volume and radioactivity. There is no evidence that these extremely low levels of radioisotopes have a detrimental health effect.

This is just another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

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

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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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FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food Fact Check!

Here is what you need to know about the FDA import alert 99-33 on Japanese food over radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant!

Updated @ 2023-08-25 : Updated the article
Originally posted @ 2023-03-21

 

Claim : FDA Issued Import Alert 99-33, Banning Japanese Food!

This message has gone viral on and off over the years, being shared again and again on WhatsApp, and social media. It’s long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…

The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a notice

A week ago, the US law came into force:
🎯 FDA Issued Alert No. 99-33, prohibiting the following
🅾️ Japanese food entering the US:
📎 Fresh milk,
📎 Butter,
📎Milk powder,
📎Baby milk powder, and others
📎Dairy products;
📎Vegetables, sweet potatoes, salt, and other products
📎Rice,
📎 Whole wheat;
📎Fish;
📎Meat and poultry;
📎Clams;
📎 sea urchin;
📎Citrus pomelo fruits;
📎 Apples, kiwis and other fruits.

Recommended : The Highly Radioactive Japanese Food Video Explained!

 

The Truth About FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) to scare people into boycotting Japan and Japanese food, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : FDA Issued Import Alert #99-33 In March 2011

On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit by a massive tsunami triggered by a 9-magnitude earthquake off its Pacific coast. The force of the tsunami greatly damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, contaminating the surrounding area with radioactive material.

The Government of Japan determined that certain food products in affected prefectures were therefore not fit for human consumption, due to the risk of contamination by the radioactive material. They banned those food products from sale within Japan, and for export.

The US FDA responded by issuing Import Alert #99-33 – “Detention Without Physical Examination of Products from Japan due to Radionuclide Contamination.

This part of the viral post is true, but everything else is false.

Fact #2 : FDA Import Alert #99-33 Was Limited To Certain Prefectures

The FDA Import Alert #99-33 did not ban the import of all Japanese food products, as the viral post claimed.

It only targeted Japan’s own restrictions at the prefecture level, using Section 801(a)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act:

FDA-regulated products are subject to refusal and will be refused admission into the United States if the products appear to be forbidden or restricted for sale in the country in which they were produced or from which they were exported.

Fact #3 : FDA Cancelled Import Alert #99-33 In September 2021

On September 21, 2022, the US FDA deactivated (cancelled) Import Alert #99-33. Since then, there has been no ban on any food product from the five affected prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaraki.

Now, after an extensive analysis of Japan’s robust control measures that include decontamination, monitoring and enforcement; after reviewing the results of 10 years of sampling food products from Japan; and after determining a very low risk to American consumers from radioactive contaminated foods imported from Japan, FDA has decided that the IA is no longer necessary to protect public health and therefore should be deactivated.

Despite this cancellation of the import ban more than a year ago, the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) continues to spread this fake story on WhatsApp, as well as social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Recommended : Did Hong Kong Just Ban All Food From Japan?!

Fact #4 : Australia Did Not Stop Issuing Visa To Japanese Travellers

Australia never suspended visa issuance for Japanese travels over the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

Fact #5 : US Did Not Suspend Japanese Immigration

The United States never suspended immigration of Japanese citizens over the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

Fact #6 : Japan Did Not Supply Contaminated Food To Tourists

This claim has been repeatedly promoted by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and is categorically false.

Japan did not reserve their contaminated food supply for consumption by tourists, while importing food for their own citizens. Neither did Chinese tourists to Japan suffer “strange diseases of varying degrees”.

Those are just lies created by the wumao to scare Chinese citizens into boycotting Japan and Japanese food products.

Fact #7 : Fukushima Radiation Only Affected A Small Area Of Japan

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident did not affect 70% of Japanese territory.

The Government of Japan established a 30 kilometre no-fly zone, and a 20 kilometre exclusion zone, around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Aerial survey of the radioactive caesium levels in May 2012 show that only a small part of Japan was affected.

Recommended : Fukushima Waste Water Release : Should You Be Worried?!

Fact #8 : Harmful Radionuclides Were Removed From Wastewater

Both fresh water and seawater were used to cool down the melting nuclear fuel rods and spent fuel rods stored at the facility.

Measures were quickly taken to block the seepage of the contaminated wastewater into the sea and water table. For example, TEPCO poured a 60 cm-thick concrete wall covering 70,000 square meters of ocean seabed.

There were occasional accidental discharges of radioactive wastewater, but generally the radioactive wastewater was stored in massive storage tanks and treated using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS).

ALPS removed harmful radionuclides like caesium and strontium from the wastewater, leaving only tritium – a mildly radioactive and far less harmful hydrogen isotope.

Fact #9 : Decontaminated Wastewater Used To Keep Reactors Cooled

The water treatment system became fully-functional, together with water recycling systems on 3 July 2011.

The decontaminated wastewater thereafter is being 100% reused to keep the reactors cooler, so no additional volume of contaminated water would be generated.

Fact #10 : Excess Decontaminated Wastewater To Be Released

A large amount of treated wastewater remain at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, and on April 13, 2021, the Government of Japan announced that the treated wastewater would be released in 2023.

The US FDA says that the treated wastewater presents an “extremely low” health risk even if consumed, which is rather minimised because it’s being discharged into the vast ocean.

According to scientific experts from interagency advisory teams and FDA representatives to the US Advisory Team for Environment, Food and Health, the release of the treated wastewater will have “no effect on the safety of foods imported from Japan“.

In other words, the FDA considers food from Japan to be perfectly safe to import and consume, even after the treated wastewater is released into the ocean.

Recommended : Did US Refuse WHO Investigation Of Fort Detrick?!

This is just another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and 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)
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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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Did Hong Kong Just Ban ALL Food From Japan?!

Did Hong Kong just ban all food imports from Japan, after the Fukushima nuclear plant started releasing radioactive waste water into the Pacific Ocean?!

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

 

Claim : Hong Kong Just Banned All Food From Japan!

People are sharing a video clip on TikTok and WhatsApp, claiming that Hong Kong just banned all food imports from Japan, after the Fukushima nuclear plant started releasing radioactive waste water into the Pacific Ocean!

The video just shows images of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, fishing boats, seafood, and Japanese food products, with this warning:

STOP BUYING ALL JAPANESE FOODS, Japan Starts Dumping its Nuclear Waste into Ocean on Thursday 24/8/23

HK has prohibited all Japanese Foods, including Vegetables, Fruits, Seaweed and Canned Food.

The video clip is also shared with messages like this example:

Confirmed HKG [Hong Kong] yesterday announced the ban on food from Japanese, both raw and pre-prepared.

Recommended : The Highly Radioactive Japanese Food Video Explained!

 

Truth : Hong Kong Did Not Ban All Food From Japan!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Hong Kong Did Not Ban All Food From Japan

Let me just start by pointing out that Hong Kong did not ban ALL food imports from Japan.

It would be illogical to do that since the release of treated waste water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant only goes into the Pacific Ocean, and does not affect land produce, for example.

Fact #2 : Hong Kong Only Banned Some Seafood From Japan

On 22 August 2023, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee ordered Environment Secretary Tse Chin-wan and relevant departments to immediately activate import controls on some seafood from Japan.

Environment Secretary Tse Chin-wan then announced an indefinite ban on some seafood imports starting on Thursday, 24 August 2023 – when the Fukushima nuclear power plant is expected to begin releasing its treated waste water.

Fact #3 : Macau Banned Live + Fresh Food

In tandem with Hong Kong, Macau also ordered an import ban on food from Japan. But instead of banning just seafood, Macau is banning live and fresh food products, food products of animal origin, sea salt and seaweed.

While this appears to be more wide-ranging than the seafood-only ban by Hong Kong, it only covers “live and fresh” food products, and does not appear to cover dried foods or canned food products.

Fact #4 : Only 10 Prefectures Are Affected

In addition, the limited food import ban by Hong Kong and Macau only affects 10 prefectures in Japan:

  • Tokyo,
  • Fukushima,
  • Chiba,
  • Gunma,
  • Tochigi,
  • Ibaraki,
  • Miyagi,
  • Niigata,
  • Nagano, and
  • Saitama

All forms of seafood from these ten prefectures will be banned from being imported into Hong Kong, regardless of whether they are frozen, chilled, or dried. It does not include vegetables, fruits, or canned food.

When it comes to Macau, only live and fresh food products from these ten prefectures will be banned from being imported.

Recommended : Truth About FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food

Fact #5 : Even China Only Banned Seafood From Japan

Just in case you think that it was China that banned all food imports from Japan, that is also untrue.

On 24 August 2023, China announced an immediate blanket ban on all seafood imports from Japan.

While the Chinese ban is much wider – covering the entirety of Japan, it is still limited to seafood, and does not affect non-seafood food imports from Japan.

Just like the Hong Kong ban, the Chinese ban does not include vegetables, fruits, or canned food.

Fact #6 : Fukushima Waste Water Is Filtered + Treated Before Release

To be clear – TEPCO isn’t going to just release radioactive water into the ocean. The Fukushima waste water is being filtered using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to remove most of its radioactivity.

The ALPS uses a series of chemical reactions to remove 62 radionuclides from the contaminated water, leaving only tritium and carbon-14. Tritium and carbon-14 are radioactive forms of hydrogen and carbon, which makes them difficult to separate from water.

The treated waste water is then diluted with seawater to reduce the concentration of tritium and carbon-14 before it is released into the ocean.

The final level of tritium is estimated at 1,500 becquerels per litre, which is lower than what is required by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for release, and even lower than the WHO limit for drinking water.

Recommended : Fukushima Waste Water Release : Should You Be Worried?!

Fact #7 : This Is Just Fake News About Fukushima

There is no doubt that Japan is facing a LOT of criticism over its release of the Fukushima waste water, even though IAEA and many experts have endorsed the plan.

However, this is just another example of FAKE NEWS being created around the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster. Here are other examples I fact checked earlier:

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!

 

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

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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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.

 

Recommended Reading

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Fukushima Waste Water Release : Should You Worry?!

Japan will start releasing tons of treated radioactive waste water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant!

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

 

Claim : Fukushima Waste Water Will Contaminate Japanese Food!

People are now sharing articles about the impending release of radioactive waste water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, with warnings about contaminated Japanese food!

Circulating on WhatsApp : Must avoid seafood from Japan 😭.

@ElysiusThor : RADIOACTIVE ☢️ CONTAMINATION ALERT:

Avoid consuming any Japanese seafood imports. Japan will start dumping their 1million ton of radioactive ☢️ waste water into the ocean this Thursday. Keep your family safe from radiation-laced Japanese seafood products.

Circulating on WhatsApp : Good luck to shashimi lovers

Japan to release Fukushima waste water into the ocean starting on Thursday

Recommended : The Highly Radioactive Japanese Food Video Explained!

 

No Evidence Fukushima Waste Water Will Contaminate Japanese Food

The decision of the Japanese government to release the radioactive Fukushima waste water is an emotionally-charged event that has triggered condemnation by many people all over the world.

It doesn’t help that there is now a wave of warnings about contaminated Japanese food on social media and instant messaging platforms.

Take some deep breaths and CALM yourself down. Then consider what we know so far about all these warnings.

Fact #1 : Japan Approved Release Of Fukushima Waste Water

On Tuesday, 22 August 2023, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida approved the release of the radioactive waste water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, at a meeting of Cabinet ministers involved in the plan.

He instructed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant’s operators, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) to get ready to release the waste water from Thursday onwards, if weather and sea conditions permit.

At the cabinet meeting, Kishida said that the release of the waste water is an essential step to decommissioning the nuclear plant, and continue with the recover of the Fukushima prefecture after the 11 March 2011 disaster.

Fact #2 : IAEA Approved Release Of Fukushima Waste Water

The International Atomic Agency (IAEA) conducted a safety review of Japan’s plans to release treated water into the Pacific Ocean.

After nearly two years of work, the IAEA released a report (PDF download) on 4 July 2023. The IAEA concluded that the plan are “consistent with relevant international safety standards“, and would have “negligible radiological impact on people and the environment“.

Fact #3 : Fukushima Uses Water To Cool Fuel Rods

Now, it is necessary to understand WHY there is even radioactive waste water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

After the plant’s cooling systems were destroyed by the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami, three of its nuclear reactors melted down. The reactors were also damaged by explosions caused by the release of hydrogen gas.

To prevent further damage to the reactors, TEPCO has been pumping water to cool the nuclear fuel rods. The water, which is now contaminated with radioactive elements, is then stored in massive tanks.

Recommended : Truth About FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food

Fact #4 : Fukushima Water Tanks Keep Leaking!

Currently, about 1.3 million tonnes of radioactive water is stored in over 1,000 gigantic tanks at the nuclear plant.

Obviously, this is not a sustainable solution for TEPCO in the long-term, as they have to keep building new tanks, and old tanks will eventually leak. Or the water may be accidentally released.

  • In August 2013, TEPCO revealed that 300 metric tonnes of highly-radioactive water leaked from a storage tank.
  • In October 2013, TEPCO revealed that another tank was leaking, and some of the highly-radioactive water may have reached the ocean.
  • In February 2014, TEPCO revealed that a valve left open by mistake allowed about 100 tonnes of highly-radioactive water to overflow from a storage tank.
  • In October 2016, about 32 litres of highly-radioactive water leaked from a seam in a water tank.

Regardless of what we may think about the release of radioactive water into the ocean, it doesn’t appear to be practical to keep all that water in tanks that will eventually leak.

It is arguably much safer to treat and discharge the water, instead of risking these inevitable leaks of highly-radioactive water.

Fact #5 : Fukushima Waste Water Is Filtered + Treated Before Release

To be clear – TEPCO isn’t going to just release the radioactive water into the ocean. The Fukushima waste water is being filtered using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to remove most of its radioactivity.

The ALPS uses a series of chemical reactions to remove 62 radionuclides from the contaminated water, leaving only tritium and carbon-14. Tritium and carbon-14 are radioactive forms of hydrogen and carbon, which makes them difficult to separate from water.

The treated waste water is then diluted with seawater to reduce the concentration of tritium and carbon-14 before it is released into the ocean.

The final level of tritium is estimated at 1,500 becquerels per litre, which is lower than what is required by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for release, and even lower than the WHO limit for drinking water.

Recommended : Truth About FDA Import Alert 99-33 On Japanese Food

Fact #6 : Fukushima Waste Water To Be Released Over 30 Years

Most people are not aware that nuclear power plants around the world regularly release waste water containing higher tritium levels than the treated waste water from Fukushima.

Of course, TEPCO will be releasing A LOT MORE waste water than those power plants, having accumulated over 1.3 million tonnes over the last 12 years or so.

That’s why TEPCO will gradually release the treated Fukushima waste water into the Pacific Ocean over an extended period of 30 years.

According to molecular pathology expert Gerry Thomas, who worked with Japanese scientists on radiation research, and advised the IAEA on the Fukushima report:

The water released will be a drop in the ocean, both in terms of volume and radioactivity. There is no evidence that these extremely low levels of radioisotopes have a detrimental health effect.

Fact #7 : Tritium Has Short Half-Life

Tritium has a short radioactive half-life of 12.32 years. What this means is that tritium will rapidly degrade:

  • only half the amount would remain after 12.32 years
  • a quarter will remain after 24.64 years

In other words, some of the waste water in Fukushima now has half the amount of tritium than was originally present when it was collected 12 years ago!

And if water collected in August 2023 was only released at the end of the 30 year discharge timeline, only 18.5% of its original quantity of tritium would remain in the water.

This is part of the reason why tritium paint is no longer used in premium watches to provide illuminated dials – its brightness keeps halving every 12 years!

Recommended : Heavy Gadget Use Killing Kids With Radiation?!

Fact #8 : Tritium + Carbon-14 Occur Naturally

Both tritium and carbon-14 emit very low levels of radiation through beta radiation, which has low penetrating power – it can be stopped by nothing more than a layer of clothing or aluminium foil!

But more importantly, both tritium and carbon-14 occur naturally in the environment, and only pose a risk to human life if consumed in large quantities.

Unless you plan to drink a lot of undiluted Fukushima waste water to prove a point, you are unlikely to suffer radiation poisoning.

Fact #9 : Waste Water Will Be Discharged Into Ocean

Finally, let me end by simply pointing out that the Fukushima waste water isn’t going to be used to irrigate Japanese farms. So there is no risk to Japanese farm produce.

There is also no evidence that the treated waste water will contaminate Japanese seafood as the treated Fukushima waste water will be released into the ocean, which will further dilute the concentration of the tritium and carbon-14 nucleotides.

Fact #10 : Contaminated Fish Mostly Limited To Fukushima Area

There have been reports that fish living near the drainage outlets at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was found to have radioactive caesium 180X higher than Japan’s safety limit.

However, that contamination cannot be from the discharge of the treated waste water (which has not occurred and would not contain radioactive caesium), but is mostly caused by untreated contaminated water that has been leaking from the nuclear plant for many years now.

In other words, the discovery of such contaminated fish is evidence that the waste water should be treated, instead of being left untreated in storage tanks to risk further leaks.

TEPCO installed nets in January 2016 to contain contaminated fish inside the area. However, these nets have apparently failed, allowing contaminated fish to escape. That’s why regular sampling is now conducted in the area to detect such leaks.

Since contaminated water flowed into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station port immediately after the accident, Tepco has periodically removed fish from inside the port since 2012 using fishnets that have been installed to prevent the fish from escaping the port.

However, when a black rockfish with radioactive concentrations that exceed regulatory standards was caught off the coast of Soma [about 50km north of the plant] in January 2022, we began sampling again within this area in conjunction with the installation of more nets to prevent fish from leaving the port.

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Did Japan Order Investigation Of COVID-19 Vaccine Deaths?!

Did Japan just order an official investigation into COVID-19 vaccines because of skyrocketing excess deaths?!

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

 

Claim : Japan Orders Investigation Of COVID-19 Vaccine Deaths!

People are sharing an article by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), suggesting or claiming that Japan just ordered an investigation into COVID-19 vaccines because of skyrocketing excess deaths?!

Steve Kirsch : Wow. The Japanese government deletes vaccine data that they don’t like. I didn’t realize the Japanese government was just as corrupt as the other governments. I regret the error. This is one of the many reasons I don’t trust government data anymore. And neither should you.

Prof Shmuel C. Shapira MD MPH : It is Hapenning. [sic] ‘This Is a National Crisis’: Japan Orders Investigation Into Covid Jabs As Excess Deaths Skyrocket

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

This Is a National Crisis’: Japan Orders Investigation Into Covid Jabs As Excess Deaths Skyrocket

“Today, we filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government for cancellation of the administrative action,” announced Dr. Masanori Fukushima during a press conference. Because the Japanese Health Ministry refuses to acknowledge the causal link between vaccines and deaths, Professor Fukushima and a team of researchers said they “had no choice but to dare to take legal action.”

Recommended : Died Suddenly : Anti-Vaccination Movie Lies Exposed!

 

Truth : Japan Did Not Order Investigation Of COVID-19 Vaccine Deaths!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Japan Did Not Order Any Investigation Into COVID-19 Vaccines

First, let me just point out that the Japanese government has not ordered any investigation into COVID-19 vaccines.

In fact, The People’s Voice article only makes that claim in its title. The article itself does not refer to any investigation by the Japanese government into COVID-19 vaccines!

The truth is – a Japanese private citizen called Dr. Masanori Fukushima took upon himself to call for a press conference to announce that he decided to “file a lawsuit against the Japanese government” over COVID-19 vaccines.

It looks like all those who shared the article, and claimed that Japan just ordered an investigation into COVID-19 vaccines after excess deaths skyrocketed did not actually read the article itself…

Of course, one has to wonder why The People’s Voice used a title that has absolutely NOTHING to do with the content of its own article…

Fact #2 : Dr. Fukushima Filed His Lawsuit In February 2023

The article by The People’s Voice isn’t even new. It was published on June 9, 2023. But even that article was based on old news.

Dr. Masanori Fukushima announced his decision to sue the Japanese government over COVID-19 vaccines on 2 February 2023 – 4 months before The People’s Voice published its article.

Interestingly, the video (and screenshots) of Dr. Fukushima announcing his lawsuit against the Japanese government was widely shared on social media in February 2023. Yet, both the video or its screenshots were not seen in The People’s Voice‘s article.

In the spirit of transparency, I attached it below. As you can see, it was posted by @ShortShort_News, and dated 2 February 2023.

Recommended : COVID-19 Vaccines Caused Stillbirth Surge In Singapore?!

Fact #3 : No Evidence Japanese Government Deleted Data

There does not appear to be any evidence that the Japanese government deleted data on the COVID-19 fatality rate of vaccinated vs unvaccinated people.

In fact, Dr. Fukushima mentioned that the Japanese government had earlier published the data in September 2021. Once published, the information is already public. So it wouldn’t matter even if the Japanese government actually tries to delete the data.

“As such, data on the fatality rates had already been published in official documents after all. However, in last year’s data, the Health Ministry deleted all that information,” Dr. Fukushima loathed.

It is quite likely that the quote on the Japanese Health Ministry “deleting” the information was a mistranslation. Dr. Fukushima probably meant that the Japanese Health Ministry was no longer providing updated information, or stopped providing the data.

Fact #4 : The People’s Voice Is A Fake News Website

The People’s Voice is the new name / brand for NewsPunch, which likely changed its name because it has been so thoroughly discredited, its brand was worthless.

Like Real Raw News, NewPunch was 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.

Its articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from NewsPunch / The People’s Voice.  Here are some of its fake stories that I personally debunked earlier:

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

 

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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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Avanade + Accenture: 2023 Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year!

Avanade and Accenture have just been named 2023 Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year, for the 18th time!

 

Avanade + Accenture: 2023 Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year!

Avanade and Accenture have been named 2023 Microsoft Global SI Partner of the Year. This is the 18th time that Avanade and Accenture received the Global SI Partner of the Year recognition from Microsoft.

In total, Avanade and Accenture received close to 120 Partner of the Year awards across various technology and country categories throughout their history, for helping clients transform their employee and customer experiences by creating and delivering leading-edge solutions using Microsoft solutions.

Both companies were also recognised with 17 other awards including Malaysia Partner of the Year and Singapore Partner of the Year.

  • Dynamics 365 Sales & Marketing Partner of the Year
  • Low Code Application Development Partner of the Year
  • Automotive, Mobility and Transportation Partner of the Year
  • Customer Experience Partner of the Year
  • Malaysia Country Partner of the Year
  • Singapore Country Partner of the Year
  • Germany Country Partner of the Year
  • Greece Country Partner of the Year
  • France Country Partner of the Year
  • Portugal Country Partner of the Year
  • UK Country Partner of the Year
  • Denmark: Azure Core: Cloud Infrastructure Partner of The Year
  • Finland: GSI Growth Champion Partner of The Year
  • Asia Pacific: Azure Data & AI Partner of the Year
  • Asia Pacific: Azure Infrastructure Partner of the Year
  • Singapore: Financial Services Industry Partner of The Year
  • Japan: Energy and Resources Partner of the Year

The companies were also named finalists in the following five categories: Retail & Consumer Goods Partner of the Year; Dynamics 365 Finance Partner of the Year; Dynamics 365 Services Partner of the Year; Security Compliance Partner of the Year; Business Intelligence Partner of the Year

The unique partnership between Avanade, Accenture and Microsoft truly enables us to do what matters for our clients – building more resilience in a world of continuous change, empowering employees to embrace new ways of working, strengthening customer experience and now, guiding them on their journey to an ‘AI-first’ world.

Being recognized as Microsoft’s Global SI Partner of The Year for the 18th time is a remarkable achievement that is only possible because of our people all over the world who, every day, bring unrivalled expertise, experience and insights to help our clients solve their toughest business challenges.

– Avanade CEO Pam Maynard

Recommended : Microsoft : No More Windows 10 Updates, EOL In 2025!

 

Avanade + Accenture Collaborates With Microsoft On AI

Avanade, Accenture and Microsoft recently announced an expansion of their close collaboration to help organizations adopt the disruptive power of generative AI, accelerated by the cloud, to fundamentally transform their businesses.

By tapping into the new Accenture Center for Advanced AI, with its deep focus on generative AI and large language models, and the new Avanade AI Organizational Readiness Framework, the companies can help their clients take advantage of generative AI for safe and responsible innovation at scale.

Over the past year, we’ve expanded our partnership with Microsoft by helping more clients transform their organizations through the adoption of data and AI, cloud, metaverse, sustainability and other technologies.

Together with Avanade, we take great pride in helping clients accelerate change to achieve new growth and value, and we look forward to an exciting journey forward with Microsoft.

– Chris Howarth, Senior Managing Director and Accenture Microsoft Business Group Lead

Combined, Avanade and Accenture now have more than 65,000 professionals dedicated to delivering Microsoft technologies.

 

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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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Are Nazis From Japan Fighting For Ukraine?!

Are Nazis from Japan fighting for Ukraine against Russia?!

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

 

Claim : Nazis From Japan Are Fighting For Ukraine Against Russia!

The Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens are sharing photos of what they suggest are Nazis from Japan in Ukraine, helping to fight against Russia!

Japanese Nazis are fighting in Ukraine

Team Japanese in Ukraine

Anarchy is alive and in Ukraine

Note : I placed the misleading overlay to prevent the photos from being further abused.

 

Truth : Nazis From Japan Are Not Fighting For Ukraine Against Russia!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Photos Are Unrelated

After investigating the viral screenshot, I was able to confirm that they consist of two sets of photos that are unrelated.

The first set of photos, which show four soldiers in Ukraine, was posted by @rattionyade on February 10, 2023.

The second photo is completely unrelated to the first set of photos, and was posted by @xenovampiro (as well as other people) on February 12, 2023.

Fact #2 : Rising Sun Flag Is Not Japanese Nazi Flag

The Rising Sun flag is not the Japanese version of Germany’s Nazi flag. This is actually the Imperial Japanese Navy ensign called Jyūrokujō-Kyokujitsu-ki (十六条旭日旗) that was adopted on May 15, 1870 – over 150 years ago!

The Imperial Japanese Navy used it until the end of World War 2 in 1945. However, it was readopted and has been used by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force on all its ships since June 30, 1954.

Fact #3 : Japanese Nazi Flag Photo Was From 2014

The photo showing men carrying Japanese Rising Sun and Nazi Germany flags was not taken recently, or even in Ukraine.

It is unknown who took this photo, but it was possibly a photographer from the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, as the photo was posted by Asahi Shimbun editorial board member Itaru Tominaga (@tanutinn) on Twitter on August 2, 2015, with the description:

東京での日本の国家主義者のデモンストレーション。
彼らは安倍首相と彼の保守的な政治を支持している。

Japanese nationalist demonstration in Tokyo. They are supporting PM Abe and his conservative administration.

On further investigation, I found out that Tominaga deleted the tweet because it was misleading when he posted it – it was taken almost a year ago, on April 20, 2014 – the 125th anniversary of the birth of Adolf Hitler.

On that day, about 40 Japanese protestors marched through the busy entertainment area of the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo, bellowing racist chants about South Korea and China. While the Asahi Shimbun article is no longer available online, you can download a copy here.

In short – this viral photo was taken in Tokyo, Japan, on 20 April 2014, and had nothing to do with Ukraine or the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Fact #4 : Ukraine Has Foreign Volunteer Battalions Since 2014

Informal volunteer military groups were formed in spring 2014, from local militias and paramilitary groups, in response to the Russian military intervention in Ukraine.

The Ukraine Ministry of Defence later formed 32 volunteer battalions called “Territorial Defence Battalions”, and the Ukrainian parliament voted on 6 October 2014 to allow foreign fighters to join the military. In December 2014, President Petro Poroshenko promising Ukrainian citizenship to foreign fighters who signed up to fight.

Ironically, volunteers from Russia formed the largest group of foreign fighters in Ukraine! Even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, about 3,000 Russian citizens signed up to fight for Ukraine.

Fact #5 : Volunteers From 60 Countries Now Fighting For Ukraine

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian government established the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine.

By 6 March 2022, more than 20,000 volunteers from 52 countries signed up to fight for Ukraine against the Russian invasion. So it would not be surprising to find volunteers from Japan fighting for Ukraine.

@rattionyade, who posted the viral photo on the left, appears to be one of the Japanese volunteers fighting for Ukraine, as he often posts about his life in Ukraine.

Back in November 2022, it was revealed that volunteers from 60 countries are now fighting for Ukraine. Here are some of the units that were formed from those volunteers:

  • Canadian Brigade : Ukrainian-Canadian volunteers, including former servicemen from Canada
  • Norman Brigade : veterans from Canada, the United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, France, South Africa, and Poland.
  • Freedom of Russia Legion : former servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as other Russian and Belarusian volunteers.
  • Russian Volunteer Corps : formed from Russian volunteers who have been fighting for Ukraine since 2014.
  • Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion : Mostly Chechen volunteers who fought in the First Chechen War and Second Chechen War against Russia.
  • Pahonia Regiment : Belarusian volunteers

Fact #6 : Russia Also Has Foreign Volunteer Forces

Foreigners have also signed up to fight on the Russian side, either as members of the Russian diaspora, for ideological reasons, or as mercenaries hired by the Russian government.

  • Serbian foreign fighters : International Brigade, Seventh Brigade, Serbian-Hussar Regiment, Ural Unit, First Slavic Unit, Batman Unit, Rezanj Unit, Jovan Šević Detachment
  • Spanish foreign fighters : Carlos Palomino International Brigade, DKO (Volunteer Communist Unit), Interunit
  • White nationalists, neo-Nazis, fascists and Christian extremists from Europe and North America : Continental Unity, Orthodox Dawn Battalion, Legion of Saint Istvan.
  • Syrian Arab Army : 25th Special Mission Forces Division

Fact #7 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

This appears to be yet another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), or pro-CCP netizens.

Here is just the latest dozen the other wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far:

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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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Did 9 Countries Issue Travel Warning On US Violence?!

Did nine countries just issue travel warnings against the US because of the rising violence there?!

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

 

Claim : 9 Countries Issued Travel Warning On US Violence!

The Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens are now promoting articles claiming that nine countries just issued travel warnings against the US because of the rising violence there!

Even Chinese state propaganda outlet Global Times wrote about these new travel warnings of US violence. Here’s an excerpt:

As the conflict between Americans with different political demands becomes increasingly violent, some countries close to the US have expressed concerns about the safety of their citizens in the US, reflecting their growing lack of confidence in Washington’s political system and governance capability.

A CNN report on Sunday observed the rare phenomenon that nine countries – Australia, New Zealand, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Canada, and Israel – have issued various levels of travel warnings against the US due to increasing violence in the country.

 

Truth : Those Travel Warnings On US Violence Are Not New!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and pro-CCP netizens.

In the following sections, I will share with you what exactly did those nine countries advise, and show you why they are nothing more than common sense advice.

Yes, the US has a gun violence problem, but those nine countries did not advise its citizens against travelling to the US.

Fact #1 : CNN Report Was Not Referring To New Travel Advisories

The CNN report that Global Times and other media outlets referred to was not a “news report”, but a travel article called “What travel warnings do other nations give their citizens about US violence?

Anyone who reads the article would have noted that the writer, Forrest Brown, did not state that these travel advisories were new.

He was writing to show the people of America what other countries think of them, and was not specifically

American travelers — at least those of the cautious variety — might be familiar with the US State Department’s travel advisories.

The agency monitors the world for potential trouble and issues warnings from “Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions” to “Level 4: Do Not Travel,” alerting would-be visitors to terrorism threats, war, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, high crime rates and other personal security issues.

But have you ever wondered how other countries’ governments caution their citizens about coming to the United States? What kind of reputation does America have?

Fact #2 : Australia Advised Normal Safety Precautions

Australia did not change its travel advisory for the US, which remains at “Exercise normal safety precautions in the United States of America“. Here are its advice with regard to crime:

  • Avoid areas where demonstrations and protests are occurring due to the potential for unrest and violence. Monitor the media for information and updates. Follow the instructions of local authorities, and abide by any curfews in place.
  • Violent crime is more common than in Australia. Gun crime is also prevalent. If you live in the US, learn active shooter drills.
  • Thieves target travellers. Take care in crowded areas and on public transport. Conceal your valuables, and don’t leave items unattended in your car.
  • There is a heightened risk of terrorist attacks in the US. Be alert, particularly in public places and at events.

Fact #3 : Canada Advised Normal Security Precautions

Canada also did not change its travel advisory for the US, which remains at “Take normal security precautions“. Here are its advice with regard to crime:

  • Criminal incidents associated with drug trafficking are more frequent at the border with Mexico, in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.
  • Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, occurs, particularly in urban centres and tourist locations.
  • Within large urban areas, violent crime more commonly occurs in poor neighbourhoods, particularly from dusk to dawn. It often involves intoxication.
  • Incidents of violent crime are mainly carried out by gangs or members of organized crime groups but may also be perpetrated by lone individuals. Although violent crime rarely affects tourists.
  • The rate of firearm possession in the US is high. It’s legal in many states for US citizens to openly carry firearms in public.
  • Incidences of mass shootings occur, resulting most often in casualties. Although tourists are rarely involved, there is a risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Fact #4 : UK Advised Sensible Precautions

UK did not appear to change its travel advisory for crime in the US since 9 June 2022, where it asked people to take “sensible precautions”:

  • Take sensible precautions to protect yourself and your property against petty crime.
  • Violent crime, including gun crime, rarely involves tourists, but you should take care when travelling in unfamiliar areas. Avoid walking through less travelled areas alone, especially at night.
  • Incidents of mass shooting can occur, but account for a very small percentage of homicide deaths.
  • Crime associated with the illegal drugs trade is a major issue in Mexican states bordering Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.

Fact #5 : Israel Says There Is No Travel Threat

Israel did not change its travel advisory for the US, which remains at Threat Level 01 (No Travel Threat). It only asked that its citizens take “basic precautionary measures”.

Fact #6 : France Calls US Among The Safest Countries To Visit

France did not change its travel advisory for the US. In fact, it called “the United States of America is among the safest countries” to visit.

It does, however, tells its citizens to be wary of gun violence and crimes in very specific locations like :

  • Boston : gun violence and crime in certain localised areas.
  • New York : petty and medium crime, as well as assaults in the subway
  • Washington : ordinary crimes like thefts and assaults at night
  • Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta : certain areas to be avoided at night
  • New Orleans : many cases of pickpocketing and assaults
  • Florida : petty crime in tourist areas

Fact #7 : Germany Did Not Change Its Travel Advisory On US Crime

Germany did not change its travel advisory on US crime recently, only on “entry by land via Canada or Mexico”. It tells its citizens to be wary of gun violence and common crimes:

  • Pickpocketing, muggings and car break-ins occur in many metropolitan areas in the United States, but the danger varies greatly depending on the town and even within a large city depending on the neighborhood.
  • In poorer neighborhoods, risks for travelers increase, especially after dark, as well as in some tourist areas and on public transport. Shop robberies have increased noticeably in some cities in recent months.
  • It is easy to obtain guns in the United States , leading to increased use of firearms and occasional killing sprees. The number of arms and ammunition purchases has increased significantly during the COVID-19 crisis.

Fact #8 : Mexico Does Not Even Have Travel Advisory For US!

Anyone who read the CNN article would have known that Mexico (currently) does not have any travel advisory for the US. The CNN research team had to dig up a May 2021 travel advisory, which stated that:

  • historical racial and ethnic tension, including opposition to immigration, have led to attacks by violent extremist groups
  • citizens are advised to avoid large crowds, and should always carry a copy of their Mexican passport and an official photo ID

Fact #8 : Japan Warns Its Citizens About Gun Crime

As Japan is a gun-free nation, its government warned its citizens visiting the US that “one of the main security concerns in the United States is gun crime“, with advice on how to get out of an active shooter situation:

  • Find security exits in a new place and have an evacuation plan
  • Escape regardless of whether others agree or not
  • Hide in a room and barricade the door using heavy furniture
  • Keep quiet and mute cell phones

Fact #9 : New Zealand Was Worried About Terrorism Threat

New Zealand did not change its travel advisory on US crime for quite a long time, with the threat level remaining at Level 2 of 4 (Exercise increased caution), due to the “threat of terrorism”.

When it comes to crime, it offered the same common sense advice as other countries:

  • Petty crime such as theft and pickpocketing can occur, particularly in urban centres, tourist locations and on public transport.New Zealanders should stay alert to their surroundings, stay vigilant on public transport and avoid leaving belongings unattended, including in rental vehicles.
  • You should avoid crossing the border by car into Mexico from Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. There have been increased incidents of crime associated with drug trading.
  • There is a higher incidence of violent crime and firearm possession than in New Zealand. In many states, it is legal for United States citizens to openly carry firearms in public. However, crime rates vary considerably across cities and suburbs and incidents rarely involve tourists. New Zealanders should take care when travelling in unfamiliar areas.
  • Active shooter incidents occur in the United States.

Ultimately, this is just another example of Chinese propaganda propagated by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and pro-CCP netizens.

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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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Masato Kudo : Cause of Death NOT Vaccine SADS!

Japanese international soccer player Masato Kudo did NOT die from vaccine SADS, and here are the reasons why!

 

Claim : Masato Kudo Died From Vaccine Sudden Death!

Right after news broke that Masato Kudo died suddenly at 32 years of age, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that the Japanese soccer player died from vaccine-induced sudden death (SADS / VIDS / VDS)!

Here is a selection of social media posts accompanying links or articles on his death:

Masato Kudo dead aged 32: Former MLS star and Japan international tragically dies with tributes pouring in 

Another sudden death 💉💉💉

🚨🚨 Nueva #Repentinitis deportiva: muere el exinternacional japonés Masato Kudo a los 32 años‼️

Al final en vez de quiniela habrá que echar el quininfarto 🤔

✅ De nuevo el cambio climático? O Putin? 💉 Lo único seguro es que las vacunas no han tenido nada que ver

DEP 😔

🚨🚨 New sports #Suddenitis: former Japanese international Masato Kudo dies at 32 years old!!

In the end, instead of pools, we will have to cast the quininfarct 🤔

✅ Climate change again? Or Putin? 💉 The only sure thing is that vaccines have had nothing to do with it

RIP 😔

Recommended : Robbie Coltrane : New Victim Of Vaccine Death Claim!

 

Masato Kudo : Cause of Death NOT Vaccine SADS!

It’s now a tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all athlete deaths or illnesses 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 what we know so far…

Fact #1 : Masato Kudo Died From Complications Of Brain Surgery

Masato Kudo (born May 6, 1980) passed away on Friday, October 21, 2022 – at 32 years of age.

He was a former Japanese International and MLS soccer player, who was playing for Japanese football club Tegevajaro Miyazaki as a striker.

His club announced his death, stating that Masato Kudo died following complications from brain surgery.

Masato Kudo was diagnosed with hydrocephalus – a build-up of fluid in the brain’s ventricles, and hospitalised on October 3, after falling ill the day before.

He had surgery on October 11, but his condition deteriorated, and he was moved into intensive care. Unfortunately, he passed away on October 21.

So let me be clear – Masato Kudo’s cause of death was complications of brain surgery, not the COVID-19 vaccine!

Fact #2 : Masato Kudo Did Not Die On The Field

Several websites are using photos of Masato Kudo lying on the football field, bleeding from his mouth, to suggest that he suddenly collapsed and died while playing.

That’s not true. The photos were taken in May 2016, when Masato Kudo was playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps against Chicago Fire.

During that match, Kudo slammed into a goalkeeper from the opposing team, and knocked himself out. He was bleeding from his mouth because he bit his lip and tongue when he smashed his head after passing out.

Masato Kudo, who was 26 years old at that time, was taken to the Vancouver General Hospital where he received surgery for his fractured jaw.

Read more : Robbie Coltrane : New Victim Of Vaccine Death Claim!

Fact #3 : Unknown If Masato Kudo Was Vaccinated

It is currently unknown if Masato Kudo was vaccinated against COVID-19, so it would be wrong for anyone to claim that he died from COVID-19 vaccine side effects.

For all we know – he may not even be vaccinated! The COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory in Japan, despite what anti-vaccination activists may claim.

For example, anti-vaccination activists claimed that Kaden Clymer was almost crippled by a 6-foot long vaccine-induced blood clot, but the high school athlete was never vaccinated against COVID-19!

Fact #4 : Claims Of Athletes Dying From COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False

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

So far, claims of athlete 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 athlete 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!

 

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Did Four Taiwan F-16 Fighters Just Defect To China?!

Did four ROCAF F-16 fighter jets from Taiwan just defect to China?!

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

 

Claim : Four F-16 Fighter Jets From Taiwan Just Defected To China!

Many people are sharing a post on WhatsApp and social media, which claims that four F-16 fighter jets from Taiwan just defected to China.

It’s really long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…

👍IMPORTANT NEWS🇸🇬 :- is reported that at 4:35 in the morning, four F16 fighter jets of a certain air force in Taiwan suddenly flew towards the center line of the strait during routine training and lost contact with the ground.

The Taiwan Air Force sent two fighter jets to intercept it, and the two sides exchanged fire in the air. The four F16 fighter jets that defected have now landed at a military base in Fujian.

Recommended : Are Taiwan Government Officials Secretly Japanese Spies?!

 

Truth : No F-16 Fighter Jets From Taiwan Ever Defected To China!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and shared by pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Fake Story First Circulated In 2003

This fake story isn’t new. It first went viral in June 2003, when a mainland Chinese military publication called The Extensive Military Report, published a report claiming that four Taiwanese F-16 fighter jets defected to China.

The article said that four Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) F-16 Block 20 fighter jets from the 401st Fighter Wing based at the Taoyuan Air Base defected to an airbase in the Fujian province, under a heavy escort of eight Chinese Su-27 fighter jets.

Allegedly, the four F-16 fighter jets “escaped” during a routine exercise flight at 4 PM on May 27, 2003. Two “loyal” F-16 fighter jets gave chase, and one was shot down by the defecting planes while the second managed to return to base.

Fact #2 : Both Taiwan + China Labelled The Story As False

When the story broke in June 2003, both the Taiwanese and Chinese governments labelled the story as false.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) called the article “a ridiculous rumour”, while the China’s foreign ministry denied the rumour at a press conference.

Taiwanese spokesperson Huang Suey-sheng pointed out that even the Chinese authorities rebutted the claims.

Fact #3 : ROCAF F-16 Tail Numbers Do Not Exist

The original fake story specifically mentioned that one of the defecting F-16 fighter jets had a tail number of 160531.

The modified fake story that is currently circulating on WhatsApp and social media in 2022 said that the aircraft had a tail number of TY160531.

They are both false. No ROCAF aircraft has either tail number.

ROCAF F-16 fighter jets have a four-digit tail number, without any TY prefix.

Fact #4 : ROCAF F-16 Fighters Are Not Based In Taoyuan

Both the original and the updated fake stories falsely claim that the defecting F-16 fighter jets were stationed at the Taoyuan Air Base.

Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets are based at the Chiayi Air Base in Chiayi, and the Chiashan Air Force Base in Hualien.

Fact #5 : Taoyuan Air Base No Longer Exists!

Taoyuan Air Base no longer exists! In 2007, it was turned over to the Republic of China Navy, and renamed to Taoyuan Naval Base.

Fact #6 : Taiwan Only Has Five Fighter Wings

The original fake story claimed that the defecting F-16 fighters came from the 401st Fighter Wing, while the updated fake story claimed they came from the 16th Air Wing.

Neither the 401st Fighter Wing nor the 16th Air Wing exist in the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF).

There was a 401st Tactical Combined Wing operating out of Taoyuan Air Base, and it had a 16th Tactical Fighter Squadron. But it only operated F-104 fighter jets from the 1960s until the early 1990s.

Currently, Taiwan has five fighter wings, of which only the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing and the 5th Tactical Fighter Wing are equipped with F-16 fighter jets.

Fact #7 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

This is just another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

All of the wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far have proven to be false… at every instance. So please watch out for such false claims.

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Dell 40-Nation Survey : Employees Are Greatest Asset!

Dell Technologies just conducted a new 40+ country survey to find out things have changed after two years of accelerated digital transformation!

Take a look at their results, and find out why most businesses consider employees as their greatest asset!

 

Dell 40-Nation Survey : Employees Are Greatest Asset!

After two years of accelerated digital transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, 64% of IT leaders in Malaysia (APJ: 45%; Global: 50%) say their organisations know what it takes to digitally transform a workforce.

But after such rapid change, many employees now face the challenge of maintaining the pace. What’s more, more than two-thirds of the 10,500 respondents believe that their organisations are not able to engage with their employees properly when planning transformation programs.

The results suggest that after 2 years rapid transformation, businesses and their workforce are in need of time to recharge, reflect and refine before embarking on new or iterating projects.

The research also highlights how there is still the danger os digital transformation stalling, as 68% of Malaysian respondents (APJ: 72%; Global: 64%) believe that their employees’ resistance to change can lead to failure.

Over half or 57% of Malaysian respondents (APJ: 62%; Global: 53%)  fear that they will be shut-out of the rapidly-evolving digital world due to a lack of people with the right authority or vision to capitalise on opportunities offered by new technologies, like as-a-Service models.

Most organisations around the world – including Malaysia – realise the need to digitally transform, but they find digital transformation hard, and their people don’t always embrace change.

This human-technology friction is only compounded by the pandemic and what we end up with is businesses that are more digitally resilient, but many of their people are exhausted.

Today, businesses aspiring for sustainable success need to be asking themselves how they can thoughtfully and purposefully help their people navigate further change.

– Mak Chin Wah, country manager, Malaysia and general manager, Telecom Systems Business, South Asia, Dell Technologies.

 

Dell 40-Nation Survey : Readiness For Digital Change

Dell and independent behavioural experts also studied survey respondents’ appetite for digital change, and they found that only 8% of the Malaysian workforce – from senior business leaders to IT decision-makers and staff – are pursuing modernisation projects (APJ: 7%; Global: 10%).

Furthermore, 40% of Malaysian respondents are slow or reluctant to embrace change (APJ: 46%; Global: 42%).

Breakthrough Benchmark Malaysia APJ Global
Sprint: Will chase innovation and
trailblaze technological change.
8% 7% 10%
Steady: Poised to adopt technological
change, selected by others.
50% 41% 43%
Slow: Inclined to hold back and
observe / deliberate.
40% 46% 42%
Still: Tend to anticipate problems and
resist proposed technology innovations
based on perceived risk.
4% 6% 5%

 

Dell 40-Nation Survey : The Way Forward

The Dell study also charts a way forward for businesses to focus on keeping pace with digital transformation:

1. Connectivity

Businesses performed tremendous feats to connect, collaborate, and conduct business online during the pandemic, but the job is not done.

Around 76% of Malaysian respondents say they need their organisations to provide the necessary tools and infrastructure to work anywhere (along with the autonomy to choose their preferred working pattern) (APJ: 78%; Global: 72%).

In fact, they worry their employees might be left behind because they do not have the right technology to shift to a highly distributed model (where work and compute are not tied to a central place, but occur everywhere).

Technology alone is not enough. Businesses also need to make work equitable for employees with different needs, interests, and responsibilities, including the 82% Malaysian employees (APJ: 78; Global: 76%) that would like their organisation to do any of the following:

  • Clearly define their ongoing commitment to flexible work arrangements and the practicalities of making it work – Malaysia: 54% (APJ: 46%; Global: 40%)
  • Equip leaders to effectively and equitably manage remote teams – Malaysia: 41% (APJ: 42%; Global: 42%)
  • Empower employees to choose their preferred working pattern and provide the necessary tools / infrastructure – Malaysia: 49% (APJ: 47%; Global: 44%)

Read more : Dell Commissions Largest Solar Panel Globally In Malaysia!

2. Productivity

Every employee’s time is limited and there are now too few qualified candidates for open roles. To address these limitations, businesses can delegate repetitive tasks to automated processes and free-up employees to focus on higher-value work.

At present, 19% of Malaysian respondents say that their work is stimulating and not repetitive (APJ: 32%; Global: 37%). With the opportunity to automate more repetitive tasks, 81% of Malaysian respondents would look forward to learning new, sought-after skills and technologies, like leadership skills, courses in machine learning, or focusing on more strategic opportunities to elevate their role (APJ: 74%; Global; 69%).

However, businesses with limited budgets are concerned they will not be able to advance their workforce and compete.

3. Empathy

At their heart, businesses must build a culture, modelled by empathetic leaders, that treats people as their greatest source of creativity and value.

The research shows there is still work to do and empathy has to inform decision making – from simplifying technology for approximately half (Malaysia: 51%; APJ: 52%; Global: 49%) who often feel overwhelmed by complex technologies, to tailoring change programs to individuals’ skills (Malaysia: 54%; APJ: 50%; Global: 41%;) of employees believe their leaders do this).

Read more : Dell Survey On Remote Work Readiness In Malaysia!

 

Dell 40-Nation Survey : A Quick Primer

To find out how things have changed after two years of accelerated digital transformation, Dell Technologies conducted a survey across 40+ countries from all regions of the world, from August to October 2021.

Fieldwork was conducted by Vanson Bourne, and involved 10,500 senior business decision-makers, IT decision-makers and knowledge workers (employees involved in digital transformation).

In Asia Pacific & Japan (APJ), 2,900 respondents across 11 locations were surveyed. The APJ locations include Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. In Malaysia, 200 number of respondents were surveyed.

On 22 September 2022, Dell Technologies presented their key findings at the Dell Technologies Forum 2022, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 

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Do Vegan Tonkotsu Noodles Contain Pork?!

Do vegan Tonkotsu noodles contain pork, and are therefore not halal for Muslims to eat?!

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

 

Claim : Vegan Tonkotsu Noodles Contain Pork!

A packet of vegan Tonkotsu noodles has gone viral, with people claiming that it contains pork, and is therefore not halal for Muslims to consume. It’s often accompanied by comments like:

Kepada yg suka sgt Japanese Food. Berhati2 lah. (To those who love Japanese food, be careful)

Dunia hari ini… hati2 bila membeli (Be careful when buying things in today’s world)

Something is off about this

 

Truth : Vegan Tonkotsu Noodles Do NOT Contain Pork!

The photo of the Tonkotsu noodles packet has gone viral, with Muslim netizens in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand deeply concerned about its halal status, so here is what you need to know…

Fact #1 : That Is A Packet Of Vegan Tonkotsu Instant Noodles

First, let me just point out that many netizens did not bother to look at the photo properly.

It is stated clearly on the packet that it contains Tonkotsu with pork bone broth flavour.

The small labels also point out that this packet is not only vegan, it has a gluten-free soup base.

Fact #2 : Vegan Tonkotsu Noodles Do Not Contain Meat

This packet of vegan Tonkotsu noodles does NOT contain meat. Certainly not pork.

In fact, vegan food products by definition do NOT contain any animal products. That means it won’t contain meat, eggs, dairy products, or any other animal-derived substances.

The soup is made to mimic the taste of pork bone broth, using yeast extracts and garlic powder amongst other things.

For example, here are the ingredients of the Nissin Tonkotsu Instant Noodles – a similar vegan tonkotsu ramen product :

Noodles: Wheat Flour, Palm Oil, Tapioca Starch, Salt, Potassium Chloride (Salt Substitute), Sodium Phosphates, Potassium Carbonate, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Alginate, Guar Gum, Green Tea Powder, Tocopherols, Ascorbyl Palmitate.

Soup Base: Sugars (White Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Dextrose), Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Yeast Extracts, Soy Sauce Powder (Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), Garlic Powder, Fully Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Onion Powder, Dehydrated Green Onion, Guar Gum, Maltodextrin, Vegetable Oil, Milk Protein, Silicon Dioxide. Black Garlic Oil: Palm Oil, Garlic, Vegetable Oil, Caramel Colour.

As you can see – its ingredients are not only completely halal, they are also completely vegan.

Fact #3 : NAHA Halal Logo Was Used Without Permission

The packet of vegan Tonkotsu noodles also has a Nippon Asia Halal Association (NAHA) logo, which proclaims that it had been certified halal.

However, NAHA issued a statement on August 19, 2022 stating that it did not certify this noodle producer as Halal, and the brand did not receive their permission to use the NAHA Halal logo.

We never certify this company as halal. Even if the product is vegan, our Halal standards clearly explain that we dont allow this kind of label even if all ingredients are halal and process is halal dedicated. We are searching which company has used this label with our halal mark without our permission. Please discourage this and wherever you saw this product, please inform the store that this is fake label and fraud label.

Fact #4 : Invalid NAHA Logo Does Not Mean It Is Not Halal

I have to point out that NAHA did not certify this company, so the use of their label is illegal, even if the product itself is halal.

That is a certification issue, and does not mean that the vegan noodles are not halal.

For example, if the noodle company paid NAHA to certify this particular Tonkotsu instant noodle product, it would receive a certificate and the right to use the halal logo for just 1 year.

If the brand does not continue to pay NAHA for the halal certification, it will lose the right to use its halal logo, even though the instant noodles have not changed one bit, and remain just as halal as it was before.

In other words – certification confirms that the product is halal, but the lack of certification or even the use of lapsed / false certification does not mean that the product is not halal.

NAHA, for example, offers halal certification for mineral water with a 2-year validity period. But does that mean that mineral water without the NAHA logo is not halal?

Of course, if you are in doubt about whether vegan noodles are truly halal, it’s best to check with the religious authorities in your country.

 

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Japan To FINALLY Kill Off Floppy Disks + CD-ROM!

Japan is being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century – its government has FINALLY decided to kill off floppy disks!

 

Japan Is Still Using Floppy Disks + CD-ROM!

Most of the world began transitioning from floppy disks to USB flash drives and rewritable CDs (yes, they exist!) in the late 1990s.

By the 2000s, floppy disk sales tanked globally … except in Japan, where they continued to thrive.

That’s partly because government agencies in Japan continue to require data to be submitted using floppy disks or CD-ROM.

So while the world moved to USB flash drives capable of storing gigabytes of data, Japan remained loyal to floppy disk with its storage capacity of 1.44 MB or 2.88 MB.

Today, Japan is arguably the only country in the world where kids do not stare blankly if you mention “floppy disk”.

 

Japan To FINALLY Kill Off Floppy Disks + CD-ROM!

On 31 August 2022, Taro Kono – the Minister of Digital Transformation of Japan, announced that the government will rewrite rules requiring the use of floppy disks or CD-ROM.

This is part of the Japanese government’s plan to introduce a national identification number for its citizens, called MyNumber.

MyNumber will be the lynchpin for many of the Japanese government’s future digital services, and will require significant amounts of data to be uploaded to its online databases.

That was when Kono’s department found more than 1,900 regulations regulating how data should be shared with the government, and many of them required the use of floppy disks or CD-ROMs. Even worse – uploading data over the Internet was forbidden for security reasons.

So the Ministry of Digital Transformation will have to fix these regulations before both the Japanese government and its citizens can rid themselves of 1970s-era technology once and for all.

Digital Minister declares a war on floppy discs. There are about 1900 government procedures that requires business community to use discs, i. e. floppy disc, CD, MD, etc to submit applications and other forms. Digital Agency is to change those regulations so you can use online.

But updating those old regulations is only part of the solution. Kono still has to deal with poor digital literacy, as well as the bureaucratic and conservative culture in Japan which are obstacles to its digital transformation.

Some Japanese government officials continue to insist that floppy disks offer a degree of security and authenticity that an email just cannot. Yoichi Ono – a Tokyo official – claimed in 2021 that floppy disks “almost never broke or lost data”.

That is not true, as many tech old-timers who had to put up with a corrupt disk or two in a multi-disk installation can attest to. But it speaks to the great reluctance in many Japanese organisations to do away with old tech.

Unbelievably, many Japanese companies and government agencies continue to rely significantly on an even older technology from the past – the fax machine.

I’m looking to get rid of the fax machine, and I still plan to do that,” Kano told a news conference this week.

He will be fighting against hundreds of government officials who claim that “banishing fax machines would be impossible” because of “security of sensitive information” and “anxiety over the communication environment (email)”.

I wish Minister Kono all the best in his attempt to drag Japan into the 21st century.

 

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Why Sony Hiked PlayStation 5 Prices Globally!

Sony just gave everyone a “nice” August surprise, by hiking PlayStation 5 prices globally by up to 24%!

Here is what you need to know…

 

Sony Hikes PlayStation 5 Prices Globally, Except US!

Sony has had a hard time producing enough PlayStation 5 consoles, with available units getting snapped up within minutes, often by scalpers.

It doesn’t seem to be a situation that will likely be resolved until 2024, but that does not mean Sony is willing to lose out on profits just because there’s still a shortage of chips worldwide.

On 25 August 2022, they sprung a “nice” surprise by announcing an immediate hike to PlayStation 5 prices globally… except in the United States.

Japan gets a short reprieve until September 14, so consumers there can still enjoy the lower price, but with virtually no stock at hand, that probably won’t make much of a difference.

Europe

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – €549.99
  • PS5 Digital Edition – €449.99

UK

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – £479.99
  • PS5 Digital Edition – £389.99

Japan (effective Sept. 15, 2022)

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – ¥60,478 yen (including tax)
  • PS5 Digital Edition – ¥49,478 yen (including tax)

China

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – ¥4,299 yuan
  • PS5 Digital Edition – ¥3,499 yuan

Australia

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – AUD $799.95
  • PS5 Digital Edition – AUD $649.95

Mexico

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – MXN $14,999
  • PS5 Digital Edition – MXN $12,499

Canada

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – CAD $649.99
  • PS5 Digital Edition – CAD $519.99

Singapore

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – SG$799
  • PS5 Digital Edition – SG$669

Malaysia

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – RM2,499
  • PS5 Digital Edition – RM2,069

Indonesia

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – IDR 9,699,000
  • PS5 Digital Edition – IDR 8,199,000

Thailand

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – THB 18,690
  • PS5 Digital Edition – THB 15,690

Philippines

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – PHP 30,790

Vietnam

  • PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – VND 15,990,000

In the United Kingdom, prices are going up by £30 for both the Blu-ray and Digital Edition versions – a 6% to 8% hike.

In Europe, the €50 hike raises the console’s price by 10% to 12.5% for the Blu-ray and Digital Edition versions respectively.

In Australia, the A$50 hike raises the console’s price by 6.7% to 8.3% for the Blu-ray and Digital Edition versions respectively.

Here in Malaysia, the RM200 hike raises the console’s price by 8.7% to 10.7% for the Blu-ray and Digital Edition versions respectively.

The highest increase though will be in Japan. The ¥10,498 increase is a massive 21% hike over the original price of ¥49,980 for the Blu-ray edition. The Digital Edition was originally priced at ¥39,980, but it will cost 24% more after its price is raised by ¥9,498.

 

Why Is Sony Hiking PlayStation 5 Prices Globally, Except US?!

It is certainly odd and rare for companies to raise prices on a product in the middle of its lifespan. I should point out that the PlayStation 5 is almost 2 years old, having been launched on November 12, 2020.

Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan blamed the decision on “challenging economic conditions” which caused “high global inflation rates, as well as adverse currency trends“.

The global economic environment is a challenge that many of you around the world are no doubt experiencing. We’re seeing high global inflation rates, as well as adverse currency trends, impacting consumers and creating pressure on many industries.

Based on these challenging economic conditions, SIE has made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price (RRP) of PlayStation 5 in select markets across Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), as well as Canada. There will be no price increase in the United States.

Why not the United States? Probably because Sony is not doing quite so well in that market, getting edged out by Xbox Series X/S. So it looks like Sony does not want to upset the apple cart there just yet…

PlayStation 5 is doing great in other countries, so Sony apparently felt confident enough to raise prices without the risk of potential customers jumping to the Xbox bandwagon in protest.

Ultimately, this boils down to profit. If Sony cannot get enough units out the door, the only way to increase profits is to raise prices. And if raising prices will keep the shareholders happy and protect their own bonuses, it’s no surprise that Sony executives would sign off on this.

Even more shockingly – Sony is raising prices most in its own turf. Japanese gamers will have to put up with a massive price hike of 21% to 24%.

It really does not pay to be a fan of Sony products…

 

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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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Are Taiwan Gov Officials Secretly Japanese Spies?!

Are many high-ranking Taiwan government officials secretly Japanese spies?!

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

 

Claim : Taiwan Gov Officials Are Secretly Japanese Spies!

People are sharing a post which claims that many high-ranking Taiwan government officials are really Japanese spies or agents.

It’s pretty long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…

The truth of taiwan’s official government, I can’t imagine that the entire group of high-ranking officials are ghosts!

Lee Teng-hui, not surnamed Lee
Original name: Noboru Iwasato, of Japanese descent
Ancestral home: Mizawa, Aomori Prefecture, Japan

Tsai Ing-wen, not surnamed Tsai
Original name: Umehara English, Ancestral home of Japanese ancestry: Nihe, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

 

Truth : Taiwan Gov Officials Are NOT Japanese Spies!

None of the Taiwan government officials mentioned in the viral post are Japanese citizens or have Japanese heritage. They are also not Japanese spies or secret agents.

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and shared by pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Lee Teng-hui Was First Taiwan-Born President

Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) was born in 1923, during Japanese colonial rule. Like other Taiwanese under Japanese rule, he was given a Japanese name. However, it was Iwasato Masao (岩里 政男/いわさと まさお), not Noboru Iwasato.

Lee Teng-hui was also not of Japanese descent. He was of Tingzhou Hakka decent, from the Yonding district of the Fujian Province in mainland China, not Mizawa in the Aomori Prefecture of Japan.

Lee Teng-hui eventually became the first Taiwan-born President of the Republic of China.

Ironically, Lee joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) not once, but twice – in 1946 and 1947, and his New Democracy Association that he formed was absorbed by the CCP.

Fact #2 : Tsai Ing-wen Is First Female President Of Taiwan

Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was born on 31 August 1956, in Taipei – the capital of Taiwan. She eventually became the first female President of Taiwan, so it is ridiculous to accuse her of being a Japanese spy or secret agent.

Taiwan was already free from Japanese occupation when she was born, so she did not have the Japanese name, Uemhara English as alleged by the fake post.

Tsai Ing-wen is also not of Japanese origin. Her family originated in the Fangshan town of Pingtung County, in southern Taiwan, not Nihe in the Iwate Prefecture of Japan.

Fact #3 : Chen Chi-chung Grew Up On A Taiwanese Farm

Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) has been the Taiwan Minister of Council of Agriculture since January 2019.

He is of Chinese ancestry, and does not have any Japanese name, and certainly not Tozuka Jizuka.

Chen Chi-chung grew up on a farm in Wandan, Pingtung County in southern Taiwan, not Abashiri City in Hokkaido, Japan.

Fact #4 : Lai Ching-te Grew Up In Taipei

Willam Lai Ching-te (賴淸德) was born in a free Taiwan, so he does not have any Japanese name, and certainly not Kiyotoku Teraoka.

Lai was also born in Wanli on October 6, 1959, in what is now New Taipei City. He certainly did not originate from Tamura in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan.

He is currently the Vice-President of Taiwan, after serving as the running mate of President Tsai Ing-wen. So it is also ridiculous to accuse him of being a Japanese spy or secret agent.

Fact #5 : Chen Chu Grew Up In Taipei

Joyce Chen Chu (陳菊) was born on June 10, 1950. This was after Japanese occupation ended, so she did not have the Japanese name, Kikuto Tsukasa, as alleged by the fake post.

Her family originated from Sanxing in the Yilan County of Taiwan, not Kuroishi in the Aomori Prefecture of Japan.

She currently serves as the President of the Control Yuan, and the Chair of the National Human Rights Commission in Taiwan.

Fact #6 : Chen Shui-bian Grew Up In Tainan

Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was born on October 12, 1950. This was after Japanese occupation ended, so he did not have the Japanese name, Shimabukuro Mizuhira, as alleged by the fake post.

He grew up on a farm in the Guantian Township of Tainan County in Taiwan, not Hachimantai in the Iwate Province of Japan.

His family are Hokkien people from the Zhao’an county of the southern Fujian province of mainland China.

He was the first politician from the Democratic Progressive Party to become President of Taiwan, breaking the 55 years of Kuomintang’s rule.

Needless to say – it is absurd to accuse a former President of Taiwan of being a Japanese spy or secret agent.

Fact #7 : Hsieh Chang-ting Was Born In Taipei

Frank Hsieh Chang-ting (謝長廷) was born in Dadaocheng in Taipei in 1946. Again, this was after Japanese occupation ended, so he did not have a Japanese name.

Even if Hsieh had a Japanese name, it wouldn’t be something as ridiculous as Oka Minister Ting.

He is a 7th generation native Taiwanese of part-Hokkien, part-aboriginal descent, whose ancestor Hsieh Kuang-yu (謝光玉) migrated from Tongshan in the Fujian Province of mainland China.

He certainly did not originate from Ono, in the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan.

Hsieh is currently the head of the Association of Taiwan-Japan Relations.

Fact #8 : Su Tseng-chang Was Born In Pingtung

Su Tseng-chang was born on 28 July 1947. As this was after Japanese occupation of Taiwan ended, he did not have a Japanese name, and certainly not Honda Sadamasa.

He was born in Pingtung in southern Taiwan, not Minami Soma City in the Fukushima City of Japan.

He is currently the Premier of Taiwan, serving since 2019, so it would be absurd to label him as a Japanese spy or secret agent.

Fact #9 : Lin Yi-hsiung Was Born In Pingtung

Lin Yi-hsiung (林義雄) was born in 1941, during Japanese colonial rule. However, he does not appear to have any Japanese name. Nor is he associated with the name, Yoshio Kojima.

Lin Yi-hsiung is also not of Japanese descent. He was born in Wujie Township of the Yilan County in Taiwan, not Abashiri City in Hokkaido, Japan.

Lin ceased being active in politics since campaigning for two Democratic Progressive Party candidates in 2006. Since then, he has been focused on halting construction of nuclear plants in Taiwan, even starting a hunger strike in 2014 which ended after the government pledged to halt construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City.

Fact #10 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

This is just another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

All of the wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far have proven to be false… at every instance. So please watch out for such false claims.

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Does Malaysia Have 2nd Most Debt In Asia, After Sri Lanka?!

Did the IMF warn Malaysia about having the second most national debt in Asia, after Sri Lanka?!

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

 

Claim : Malaysia Has 2nd Most Debt In Asia, After Sri Lanka!

This post about IMF warning Malaysia about having the second most national debt in Asia, after Sri Lanka, has gone viral.

People are sharing it as a warning of how Malaysia could very soon descent into the economic chaos and misery affecting Sri Lanka.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that Malaysia is in a huge economic dilemma.

The second largest debt country in Asia after Sri Lanka is Malaysia.

Good Luck to Malaysian… [sic]

马民有福了😱😭

 

Truth : Malaysia Does Not Have 2nd Most Debt In Asia, After Sri Lanka!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : IMF Did Not Say Malaysia Is In Economic Trouble

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) did not warn that Malaysia is in huge economic trouble.

In April 2022, it warned that Asian nations, like the rest of the world, are at risk of stagflation from being battered by the war in Ukraine and the slowdown in China from COVID-19.

The region faces a stagflationary outlook, with growth being lower than previously expected, and inflation being higher.

Inflation is now expected to rise 3.2% this year, a full point higher than expected in January.

Despite the downgrade, Asia remains the world’s most dynamic region, and an important source of global growth.
– Anne-Marie Gulde-Wolf, acting director of IMF Asia and Pacific

Fact #2 : Malaysia Does Not Have Second Most Debt In Asia

The claim that Malaysia has the second highest national debt in Asia is also false.

On both the GDP percentage and per capita basis, Singapore has the second highest national debt in Asia, behind Japan. Even Sri Lanka has less debt, per capita or as a percentage of its GDP, than Singapore or Japan.

Malaysia has far less national debt than Sri Lanka as a percentage of its GDP, but twice the debt on a per capita basis.

Here is a comparison I created of countries with the highest national debt in Asia :

Country Year National Debt Debt
(% of GDP)
Debt Per Capita
Japan 2020 $13,054 billion 259% $103,386
Singapore 2021 $536 billion 132.8% $98,410
Sri Lanka 2020 $81.7 billion 101.2% $3,726
Mongolia 2021 $14.3 billion 94.7% $4,294
India 2020 $2,402 billion 90.1% $1,741
China 2020 $10,115 billion 68.1% $7,164
Malaysia 2021 $239 billion 63.4% $8,644
Philippines 2021 $226 billion 57.5% $2,055

Fact #3 : IMF Optimistic Malaysia Will Expand By 5.75% In 2022

In May 2022, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) actually announced that it is optimistic that Malaysia’s economy will expand by 5.75% in 2022, driven by pent-up domestic demand and continued strong external demand.

It also said that Malaysia’s high vaccination rates, and limited movement restrictions are supporting economic expansion.

Fact #4 : High Debt Is Not Necessarily Bad

While a high national debt is not ideal, it is not necessarily a bad thing either. It really depends on how much interest needs to be paid on the debt, and what the government is using it for.

Unlike individuals who will die eventually, the government of a country can last for hundreds of years. So governments do not have to pay back all of their debts within a certain amount of time.

As long as the government can keep paying interest on its debt, it can continue to borrow money to service deficits in its budget, or to invest in projects that grow the economy.

Fact #5 : How Governments Use Money Matters More

Just like how you can use borrowed money to invest in assets or splurge on liabilities, how the government uses the borrowed money matters more than how much it borrows.

If the government uses borrowed money to invest, that will spur growth that allows it to easily repay its debts while driving down the interest it pays.

But if the borrowed money is lost through corruption or wasteful projects, the government will find it harder to pay interest on the debt and may even default on payments.

Fact #6 : High Government Spending During Pandemic Is Expected

Practically every government in the world was forced to spend significantly more during the pandemic. Most run into large deficits during the pandemic because :

  • lockdowns reduce economic activity, reducing taxes
  • governments need to spend more on healthcare to combat COVID-19
  • governments cut taxes to support citizens and businesses
  • governments provide monetary support for citizens and businesses

This isn’t unique to Malaysia, but applies across the world. That’s why Malaysia’s national debt jumped significantly after January 2020.

Fact #7 : Malaysia Has Sufficient Foreign Reserves

Malaysia’s national debt increased from $228.7 billion in 2020, to $239 billion (RM 979.8 billion) in 2021 – an increase of about 4.5% year-on-year.

While this increase pushes Malaysia close to a national debt of 65% of its GDP, it is still much lower than many other countries.

More importantly, Bank Negara Malaysia reported international reserves of $116.9 billion as of 31 December 2021, which is enough to finance 7.7 months of retained imports, and is 20% higher than the total short-term external debt.

In other words, Malaysia is not anywhere close to collapsing economically, like what happened in Sri Lanka.

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Gentleminions TikTok Craze : The Good, The Bad + The Ban!

The Gentleminions craze is driving tickets sales to Minions: The Rise of Gru, but some parents are really pissed at this new TikTok trend!

Find out what the heck is the Gentleminions trend all about, and why some cinemas have banned it!

 

Gentleminions TikTok Craze : What Is It?

Minions: The Rise of Gru – the latest instalment of the wildly popular Despicable Me movie franchise – was released on July 1, 2022.

It quickly topped the box office, with a four day total of $122.5 million in the US and Canada alone, thanks in part to the Gentleminions TikTok craze.

The Despicable Me movie franchise has been a family favourite with kids and their parents who can’t get enough of cute banana-yellow Minions – Kevin, Stuart and Bob, and friends.

But cinemas are seeing hordes of teenagers – mostly male, all dressed in smart suits and some “armed” with yellow bananas, lining up for the new Minions movie.

They would record themselves swarming the theatre, sitting together in a group to watch the movie and mimic Gru or the minions – all to post on TikTok, and other social media – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

 

Gentleminions TikTok Craze : The Good, The Bad + The Ban!

Many Gentleminions dressed up in the spirit of good humour, as part of a fun night at the movies with friends after 2+ years of the pandemic.

Universal Pictures was no doubt pleased as punch – these teenagers (and some adults) were boosting the box office numbers, which is why they gave a hat tip to those who participated.

Unfortunately, some Gentleminions were not really “gentleminions”. They would clap, shout and wave their hands, or even stand up during the movie, disrupting the experience for everyone else.

Some even threw the bananas they brought at the screen, while others turned on their smartphones’ torchlight to wave in the dark cinema.

When cinema ushers asked them to stop and settle down, some verbally abused them while others threw things at them, or other cinema-goers, including young children.

In some cases, the cinema staff had to evict the troublemakers, and even the police was involved. One cinema manager shared that :

It’s been absolutely heartbreaking. We’ve had families who won’t even go back into the screen when we’ve tried to sort it out, families leaving before the film has even started, and of course the children have been in tears.

A few cinemas had to refund other patrons who were not pleased at all with the disruptions, especially families who brought their children for what they thought would be a fun experience.

In the end, some cinemas are refusing to allow “unaccompanied children wearing suits” to watch the movie. Odeon cinemas in the UK, for example, put up this sign :

Due to recent disturbances following the #Gentleminions trend, any group of guests in formal attire will be refused entry for showings of Minions: The Rise of Gru. Thank you.

 

Gentleminions Cinema Ban : Check Before You Leave Home!

It is sad that what seemed to be a fun trend devolved in some cases into a real problem. Those rowdy Nastyminions are spoiling the trend for the real Gentleminions, and that’s a real shame.

If you are planning to dress up to watch Minions: The Rise of Gru, please check if the cinema has a new dress code restriction. Just in case – bring a set of casual clothes.

And if they do let you go in, please be a real Gentleminion, like these Japanese fans. Enjoy the movie together with everyone else, not at their expense. Thank you!

 

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Are Japan, Korea + China Going To Ban Microwave Ovens?!

Are Japan, South Korea and China going to ban microwave ovens because they emit unhealthy radiation?!

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

 

Claim : Japan, Korea + China Are Going To Ban Microwave Ovens!

People are sharing this message on WhatsApp, which claims that Japan, South Korea and China are going to ban microwave ovens because they emit “unhealthy vibrations and radiation”!

End of Microwave industry!!!!! Japan govt has decided to high dispose of all the Microwave Ovens in the country before this year end.

Reason for this ban: University of Hiroshima’s scientists researched and found that “radio waves” from microwave ovens cause greater harm to health over the last 20 yrs, than the US atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Sep 1945.

Experts found that food heated in microwave ovens has very unhealthy vibrations and radiation.

All the factories of “microwave ovens” in Japan are being closed.

S Korea announced plans to close all “microwave ovens” factories by 2021, and China by 2023.

 

Truth : Japan, Korea + China Are Not Going To Ban Microwave Ovens!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Hoax Started As Satire

This fake story started as a “satirical article” by the Russian “satire” website IA Panorama, with the title “Япония окончательно откажется от СВЧ-печей к 2020 году“, which translates as “Japan will finally abandon microwave ovens by 2020

Like other “satire” websites, IA Panorama creates outlandish stories that are designed to go viral. To avoid the “fake news” label, they put a disclaimer at the bottom of their article :

All texts on this website are grotesque parodies of reality, and are not real news.

Fact #2 : It Gets Recycled Every Year

This fake story gets recycled and shared on Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. every year, with the date and some minor details changed.

The original Russian story only said that Japan was going to ban microwave ovens. In the 2022 edition, that was expanded to include South Korea and China.

Fact #3 : Microwave Ovens Are Not Getting Banned

To be clear – microwave ovens are not getting banned. Not in Japan, not in South Korea, not in China, or anywhere else in the world.

In fact, China and Japan are the second and third biggest markets for microwave ovens in 2022!

Fact #4 : Microwave Ovens Do Not Make Food Radioactive

Microwave ovens work by generating electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range, that excites polar molecules in the food.

This dielectric heating produces thermal energy in a quick and efficient manner, albeit limited to the outer 25-33 mm of the food item.

It does not turn the food radioactive, because the microwave energy is converted into heat as it is absorbed by the food.

Fact #5 : Microwave Radiation Does Not Cause Cancer

The radiation produced by microwave ovens is non-ionising, like radio waves and visible light. The only non-ionising radiation that causes cancer is UV light.

It is unlike ionising radiation like x-rays, alpha and beta particles, and gamma rays, which are high-energy radiation that can change atoms by knocking off their electrons, thereby “ionising” them.

Even if you are exposed to microwave radiation, you won’t develop cancer. However, the microwave radiation will convert into heat when absorbed by your skin.

Fact #6 : Microwave Ovens Are Shielded

The microwave oven is designed to be a partial Faraday cage on five of its six sides, with a Faraday shield (the wire mesh) on its transparent window.

This keeps the microwave energy it produces within the oven, and protects the user from getting “cooked” as well.

If you have seen a Faraday cage demonstration at science shows (like this example below), it’s literally the same thing, just in reverse.

Fact #7 : Microwaved Food Is Safe

Food cooked or heated by microwave ovens are safe to eat. In fact, using the microwave to cook is a healthier alternative to frying or barbecuing foods.

That said, you need to use “microwave safe” wares. If you use plastic containers that are not microwave safe, they could not only melt, they can leach dangerous chemicals into the food.

So the danger lies not in the “nuking” of your food, but in the container you use to “nuke” your food.

Fact #8 : Microwave Ovens Are Efficient

Microwave ovens are very efficient at cooking foods, saving both electricity and time. The fast cooking time also has the advantage of preserving the food’s nutrients.

Microwaving foods do require some preparation though, as the microwaves can only penetrate the outer 25-33 mm of the food item, and will be reflected by aluminium foil, metal utensils or containers, etc.

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Is Pfizer Vaccine Causing Japanese Encephalitis In Australia?!

Is the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine causing a major outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in Australia?!

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

 

Claim : Pfizer Vaccine Caused Japanese Encephalitis In Australia!

People are claiming that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is causing the major outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in Australia.

Their evidence? The recent release of Pfizer documents with 9 pages showing a list of 1,291 side effects allegedly caused by their COVID-19 vaccine.

Media reports Japanese encephalitis from mosquitos…

Symptoms; “rapid onset of high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis and ultimately death”. WHO

A search of the Pfizer trials of Adverse Events, is filled with Encephalitis. 💉💉

 

Truth : Pfizer Vaccine Does NOT Cause Japanese Encephalitis At All!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not Contain Any Virus

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is an mRNA vaccine, not an inactivated virus vaccine, or attenuated virus vaccine.

It does not contain a live or deactivated virus, and therefore cannot possibly cause any viral infection.

Fact #2 : Japanese Encephalitis Is Caused By JEV

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a viral infection that causes inflammation of the brain.

It is caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) – a Flavivirus, which is not remotely related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

Fact #3 : Japanese Encephalitis Spreads Through Mosquitoes

The Japanese Encephalitis Virus primarily spreads through mosquitoes, especially of the Culex type.

Mosquitoes become infected if they bite an infected animal, like birds or mammals. Infected pigs, in particular, are a high-risk, because they have very high levels of the virus in their blood.

However, humans cannot get directly infected by JEV-infected pigs, or by eating pork even from infected pigs. We can only get infected if we are bitten by mosquitoes infected with JEV.

This is quite different from COVID-19, which mainly spreads through respiratory droplets from infected humans.

Fact #4 : Japanese Encephalitis Was First Documented In 1871

Japanese encephalitis is not a new disease. It was first documented in Japan, in 1871. Hence, its name.

Fact #5 : Japanese Encephalitis Is Mainly Limited To Asia

Since it spread from Japan in the 1870s, Japanese encephalitis regularly causes outbreaks in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.

It has also caused infections in Australia – a risk that increases with climate change that allows propagation of mosquitoes into formerly temperate climates.

So it is not surprising if Australia is currently suffering an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis.

Fact #6 : Pfizer Vaccine Was Administered Worldwide

I should now point out that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been, and continues to be, administered worldwide.

If the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine causes Japanese encephalitis, these cases would be found worldwide, not just restricted to Australia and Southeast Asia.

Fact #7 : Pfizer Documents Do Not Show Vaccine Side Effects

These fake news are based on the accidental / intentional misinterpretation of Pfizer documents that were recently released by the US FDA.

Specifically, people are pointing to the nine pages of potential “adverse events” listed in the “List of Adverse Events of Special Interest” (AESI).

However, that was NOT a list of side effects caused by the Pfizer mRNA vaccine.

Rather, that was a list of 1,291 potential side effects that Pfizer was specifically looking for in the reports of adverse events.

Think of it as a shopping list of adverse events that everyone agreed that Pfizer should be looking out for.

Even if these adverse events did occur, scientists still need to find out if they actually occurred because of the vaccine, or some other causes.

Fact #8 : AESI List Not Specific To Pfizer Vaccine

The Adverse Events of Special Interest list is not specific to the Pfizer mRNA vaccine. It’s actually stated on Page 16 of the document.

The company’s AESI list takes into consideration the lists of AESIs from the following expert groups and regulatory authorities: Brighton Collaboration (SPEAC), ACCESS protocol, US CDC (preliminary list of AESI for VAERS surveillance), MHRA (unpublished guideline).

The AESI terms are incorporated into a TME list and include events of interest due to their association with severe COVID-19 and events of interest for vaccines in general.

That’s why the list includes diseases involving other viruses – Herpes, MERS, Varicella; as well as “exposure to SARS-CoV-2” and other “communicable disease”.

These AESIs are usually specified before clinical trials even begin, although new ones may be added later.

Fact #9 : Pfizer Document Showed No New Safety Concerns

The fake news creators also

falsely claimed that the document showed that the Pfizer vaccine caused 1,200 deaths.

If you read the Discussion and Summary + Conclusion sections, you will see that the data :

  • did not reveal any “novel safety concerns or risks”
  • support “a favourable benefit risk profile” of the vaccine

In other words – the Pfizer document pointed out that despite looking for 1,291 potential dangers, they found no new risks from the vaccine.

Don’t risk your life or your family’s lives on the bad science and misinformation promoted by anti-vaccination activists.

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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 Putin Humiliate Japan With His American Dog?!

Did Russian President Vladimir Putin just humiliate a Japanese delegation, by suggesting that Japan is like his American dog?!

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

 

Claim : Putin Humiliated Japan With His American Dog!

People are sharing a video clip of Russian President Vladimir Putin humiliating a Japanese delegation with his American dog, with messages like these :

☝️draw your own conclusion…

Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed with his body language and type of diplomacy to the visiting Japanese delegation that the present day Japan is like an American training dog. And this is how he gets food from his owner.

He has given message for all those who are going with USA. The humiliation can be clearly seen on the faces of the Japanese delegation. 🤔

Putin greeted the Japanese delegation with his dog and said to the Japanese delegation, “How can I negotiate with people who follow the United States like my dog?”

 

Truth : Putin Did NOT Humiliated Japan With His American Dog!

This is yet another example of pro-Russian and anti-Japanese fake news by the Chinese wumao (50 Cent Army), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Incident Took Place On 15 December 2016

This incident did not happen recently, but on 15 December 2016 – more than 5 years ago!

Fact #2 : They Were Japanese Journalists

The two men were not Japanese diplomats, as the fake story claimed. They were Japanese journalists from Nippon TV and the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.

They were there to interview Putin, ahead of his official trip to Japan to meet with Japanese President Shinzo Abe in 2016.

Fact #3 : They Asked To See Putin’s Dog

Putin did not bring his dog to show the Japanese delegation that “present day Japan is like an American training dog”.

They actually asked to see his dog. Start watching at 2:33 in this RT video clip :

Putin : I was told that you wanted to see my dog, Yume. You can see that she is in great shape.

Journalist : Thank you very much. The dog is very cheerful indeed.

Fact #4 : Yume Is An Akita Gifted By Japan

Yume is an Akita that Japan gifted to Putin four years earlier, in gratitude for Russia’s help during the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

That was why the Japanese journalists asked to see Yume. And that was why Putin showed Yume performing a series of tricks.

Putin certainly did not bring his dog to insinuate that “present day Japan is like an American training dog“.

Fact #5 : Akita Is A Japanese Dog Breed

Just to be clear – Yume is a Japanese Akita (or Akita-inu) from the Akita Prefecture, not an American training dog as the fake story claimed.

The Japanese journalist actually mentioned this at 3:02 in the video clip above :

This dog is an Akita from Akita Prefecture, and we are glad to see Yume happy and cheerful.

Even though there is an American Akita strain, the Akita originates from the mountainous regions of northern Japan.

Fact #6 : They Were Caught Off-Guard

The Japanese journalists were not humiliated, just caught off-guard.

Even though they asked to see Yume, they did not expect Putin to bring her to the interview.

This was actually mentioned at 3:14 in the video clip above :

Journalist : We were bit surprised and afraid (shocked) that the beginning of the meeting would be like this.

Putin : You were right to take caution. Yume is a no-nonsense dog. There are many people here, with camcorders running, lights shining and cameras clicking. She is being a guard dog.

Now that you know the truth, please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this out!

 

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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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Moderna Expands To Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan + HK!

Moderna just announced that they are expanding to four countries in Asia Pacific – Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong!

 

Moderna Expands To Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan + HK!

On 15 February 2022, Moderna announced that it is expanding its commercial network across Asia by creating new subsidiaries in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

These new subsidiaries are meant to support the delivery of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, and may not involve research and development, or manufacturing.

Moderna CEO, Stephane Bancel recently mentioned though that he hopes to “establish one or two new vaccine plants in Asia“.

In May 2021, Moderna announced a collaboration with the South Korean government to explore research and manufacturing in South Korea.

At the end of December 2021, Moderna announced that it would build an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Victoria, Australia.

“2021 was a year of impact for Moderna, and I am proud to see continued growth in 2022 as we expand our presence in Asia. After a decade of pioneering the development of our mRNA platform, we were ready to play a critical role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic globally,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna.

“With the addition of four subsidiaries in Asia, we look forward to new opportunities to leverage our mRNA platform to help solve health challenges, including those with a high burden of disease in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel was recently the subject of speculation and misinformation, after closing his Twitter account. You can read all about it here.

Read more : Did Moderna CEO delete Twitter account and dump his stocks?

 

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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 Cornell Name Ivermectin Most Effective Drug vs. Omicron?

Did Cornell University just confirm ivermectin as the most effective drug against the Omicron variant of COVID-19?

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

 

Claim : Cornell Calls Ivermectin Most Effective Drug vs. Omicron!

Antivaxxers and alternative medicine websites like Mercola are sharing what they claim to be a Cornell University study that names ivermectin as the most effective drug against the Omicron variant.

Here is an example of a WhatsApp message that people are sharing about this Cornell University study.

It’s a long post, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts.

14.2.2022

LATEST STUDY BY CORNELL UNIVERSITY USA FOUND IVERMECTIN MORE EFFECTIVE AGAINST OMICRON THAN OTHER DRUGS, INCLUDING PFIZER’S EXPENSIVE PAXLOVID

Researchers used a computational analysis to look at the Omicron variant, which has demonstrated a lower clinical presentation and lower hospital admission rates.

After having retrieved the complete genome sequence and collecting 30 variants from the database, the researchers analyzed 10 drugs against the virus, including:

 

Truth : Cornell Did Not Call Ivermectin Most Effective Drug vs. Omicron!

This is yet another example of ivermectin FAKE NEWS, created by antivaxxers and alternative health websites like Mercola.

Let me show you just how they maliciously lied to you about this study…

Fact #1 : Study Was Not Conducted By Cornell University

The study in question is called Insights from a computational analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant: Host-pathogen interaction, pathogenicity and possible therapeutics.

The study was conducted by Parvez et. al. – a team from the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, and the Shahjalal University of Science & Technology in Bangladesh.

This study on ivermectin and other protease inhibiting drugs has NOTHING to do with Cornell University.

Fact #2 : arXiv Is An Online Library Managed By Cornell University

The study summary in arXiv has a Cornell University logo at the top, which the fake news creator hopes will convince you that the study was done by a Cornell University team.

The truth is – arXiv is an open access repository (library) of scientific papers that is financed and managed by the Cornell University Library. Hence, the Cornell University logo.

That does not mean that the papers submitted to arXiv were conducted or endorsed by Cornell University.

Fact #3 : arXiv Papers Are NOT Peer-Reviewed

The C19Ivermectin website claims that the Parvez et. al. paper has been peer-reviewed. That’s false.

arXiv stores scientific preprints and post-prints (also called e-prints) that any scientist choose to submit.

All papers submitted to arXiv are NOT peer-reviewed, and must NOT be used without proper context.

While papers are typically peer-reviewed before becoming post-print and published (see graphic below), this is not the case for arXiv.

In fact, arXiv specifically warns that their post-prints are NOT peer-reviewed at the top of the page :

Important: e-prints posted on arXiv are not peer-reviewed by arXiv; they should not be relied upon without context to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information without consulting multiple experts in the field.

Fact #4 : Study Used Computer Modelling

The Parvez et. al. study (PDF download) was not conducted in the real world, or even in a laboratory. It was conducted on a computer.

They used computational analysis to analyse the binding potential for ten drugs that target the SARS-CoV-2’s protease protein.

However, this was all done on a computer, and may not necessarily reflect real world results. They must be reviewed (to look for mistakes), and then confirmed in actual lab and real world tests.

As the study authors themselves state, “While these hypotheses hold great value and may provide significant insights into the therapeutic strategies, further research is crucial to authenticate these statements.

Fact #5 : PAXLOVID Consists Of Two Drugs, Not One

The Parvez et. al. paper looked at individual drugs, and labelled Nirmatrelvir as PAXLOVID.

That is incorrect, as PAXLOVID is a combination of two protease inhibitors :

  • two 150 mg tablets of Nirmatrelvir (the new protease inhibitor developed by Pfizer)
  • one 100 mg tablet of Ritonavir (an old antiviral approved in 1996)

Drug combinations like this offer a synergistic effect, above and beyond their individual abilities.

Hence, the Parvez et. al. study does not accurately reflect the ability of the PAXLOVID combination of Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir to simultaneously and synergistically bind to the coronavirus protease enzyme.

And no – you cannot combine or average their results. It doesn’t work that way…

Pro Tip : If you are searching for Ritonavir in the Parvez et. al. study, do note that they wrongly called it Ritonvir.

Fact #6 : In Silico Results Are Least Clinically Important

Computational analysis can help scientists identify potential drug candidates, but the results are not always clinically important.

In this study’s case, it looked at the affinity (ease) at which ten drugs can bind to the protease enzyme of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

While that is a critical feature of protease inhibiting drugs that block the coronavirus’ ability to replicate, it does not tell us other important things like :

  • the minimum drug plasma level to inhibit replication
  • maximum dose a human being can safely tolerate
  • the dose required to achieve the therapeutic plasma level
  • drug interactions and adverse effects
  • plasma half life and drug metabolism

In the order of clinical importance, such computational (in silico) research is the least significant. That’s why we cannot draw any conclusions from such studies.

Fact #7 : PAXLOVID Proven To Work Against COVID-19

Like many people, I am aghast at the high price of the Pfizer PAXLOVID drug combination. However, low cost is not a requirement for FDA approval.

The US FDA issued PAXLOVID an Emergency Use Authorisation (PDF download) because its Phase 2/3 trial results (PDF download) showed an 88% reduction in the risk of hospitalisation or death from COVID-19.

Even so, the US FDA limited PAXLOVID’s use to only treat early cases of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 :

  • Not authorised for severe or critical COVID-19
  • Not authorised as a preventive measure (prophylaxis) against COVID-19
  • Cannot be used for longer than 5 consecutive days

Fact #8 : Ivermectin Not Proven To Work Clinically Against COVID-19

Ivermectin has shown promise against the COVID-19 virus in laboratory tests since April 2020, but that has not translated into actual clinical benefit.

In other words – scientists can only show that ivermectin kills the coronavirus in laboratory tests, but not in actual human beings.

Here is a meta-analysis of ivermectin RCTs (randomised control trials), with three fraudulent studies removed – Elgazzar, Okomus and Niaee. Results towards the left suggest a clinical benefit for ivermectin.

Taken in totality, the latest meta-analysis show that the clinical effect of ivermectin on COVID-19 patients is NOT SIGNIFICANT enough to warrant its use as a treatment.

While it is ridiculous that Pfizer would charge so much for PAXLOVID, there is fortunately a low-cost way to prevent COVID-19 – vaccines.

Getting vaccinated is a cheap way to avoid getting COVID-19, and avoid the use of expensive drugs like PAXLOVID.

If you want to stick it to Pfizer, get vaccinated against COVID-19!

 

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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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Ivermectin Has Antiviral Effect vs. Omicron + All Other Strains?

Did Kowa and Kitasato University prove that ivermectin has antiviral effect against the Omicron variant, and all other strains of COVID-19?

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

 

Claim : Ivermectin Has Antiviral Effect vs. Omicron + All Other Strains!

This viral post claims that a Kowa and Kitasato University study just proved that ivermectin has antiviral effect against Omicron and all other mutant strains of COVID-19!

The creators of this viral post also pointed out that this news was written by Reuters. It’s a long post, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Ivermectin Has ‘Antiviral Effect’ Against Omicron And All Other ‘Mutant Strains’ Of Covid-19

A Japanese pharmaceutical company, Kowa Co, said on Monday that the drug ivermectin has an “antiviral effect” against Omicron and other Covid-19 variants.

Note : I removed the two links in the original message because they lead to fake news websites.

 

Ivermectin Has No Clinical Antiviral Effect vs. Omicron + All Other Strains!

This is yet another piece of fake news created by ivermectin proponent and antivaxxers, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Reuters Screwed Up

Reuters screwed up their reporting, and ivermectin proponents and antivaxxers quickly made use of that.

Reuters published their piece with the title, “Japan’s Kowa says ivermectin effective against Omicron in phase III trial“.

They compounded their mistake by promoting it as such in Twitter :

Japanese trading and pharmaceutical company Kowa Co Ltd said on Monday anti-parasite drug ivermectin has been found effective for treating the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in a Phase III trial.

The truth is Reuters misrepresented the Kowa press release. Reuters later corrected their story, but the damage was done.

Fact #2 : It Was A Non-Clinical Trial

In their press release, Kowa triumphantly reported that their study with Kitasato University showed that ivermectin has an “antiviral effect” against the Omicron variant.

However, that was a non-clinical trial – a lab study. Basically, they ran “test tube” studies of ivermectin on Omicron samples in the lab.

Just for context, a non-clinical trial (also called pre-clinical trial) is often conducted before actual clinical trials on human volunteers.

That’s because clinical trials are expensive and difficult to conduct, consisting of multiple phases :

  • Phase 1 : To study safety and dosage in healthy volunteers
  • Phase 2 : To study efficacy and side effects in a small group of volunteers with the disease
  • Phase 3 : To demonstrate that the drug has clinical benefits in a large group of volunteers, and look for adverse reactions.
  • Phase 4 : To ensure safety and efficacy after approval by health authorities.

What Kowa did is nowhere close to an actual clinical trial, much less a Phase 3 trial.

Fact #3 : Non-Clinical Results Do Not Mean Clinical Effects

It is important to point out that most successful non-clinical drug tests do not end up delivering safe and/or useful drugs that deliver clinical benefits.

That’s because many drugs that work well in the lab either do not deliver clinical benefits in actual human beings, or only work at doses toxic to human beings, or introduce adverse effects when taken at the required doses.

That is why it is critical for all drugs to undergo clinical trials.

I should also point out that soap and alcohol have both been proven to destroy the SARS-CoV-2 virus in lab tests. But that does not mean drinking or eating soap or alcohol will prevent or cure COVID-19.

Read more : Soap vs Sanitiser : Which Works Better Against COVID-19?

Fact #4 : Kowa Confirmed Reuters’ Mistake

Kowa told Newsweek – “We sincerely apologise for any confusion. The press release announced that ivermectin was effective against [the] Omicron strain on in vitro study (i.e. non-clinical study), not in the clinical study. Presumably the original content was replaced with incorrect information in the process of translation.

Fact #5 : Omicron Variant Is Still A SARS-CoV-2 Virus

The Kowa lab test is nothing special – ivermectin was first shown to work against the SARS-CoV-2 in lab experiments by Monash University back in April 2020.

The only difference was Kowa tested it against the Omicron variant. But because the Omicron variant is still a SARS-CoV-2 virus, it would have the same results as previous lab tests.

In other words – the Kowa lab test and press release were basically marketing fluff. In that respect, they scored big.

Fact #6 : Kowa Is Conducting A Phase 3 Trial

Kowa is conducting a Phase 3 trial of their 3 mg ivermectin tablet called K-237 (ClinicalTrial NCT05056883).

It will involve 1000 volunteers, half of whom will receive 0.3 to 0.4 mg/kg of their K-237 drug, once daily for 3 days.

This Phase 3 trial is not expected to be completed until 31 March 2022. That does not necessarily mean it will be successfully completed on time.

After all, Kitasato University’s own CORVETTE-01 Phase 2 study of ivermectin took a year to recruit just 214 volunteers, and has not even concluded despite kicking off in January 2021.

Read more : Did Japan use ivermectin to successfully control COVID-19?

Fact #7 : I-TECH Study Showed No Clinical Benefit

One of the most recent randomised clinical trials of ivermectin was the I-TECH study involving 490 volunteers.

Like many previous clinical trials, it showed that despite ivermectin demonstrating effectiveness in lab tests, it has no obvious clinical benefits.

Read more : I-TECH Study : Does Ivermectin Work Against COVID-19?

Study Findings Results Significance
Symptom Recovery by Day 5 Very similar Not significant (p=0.77)
Progress to Severe COVID-19 IVM : 21.2%
SOC : 17.3%
SOC : -3.9 points
Not significant (p=0.30)
Time to Severe COVID-19 IVM : 3 days (±2.3)
SOC : 2.9 days
(±1.8)
IVM : +0.1 day
Not significant (p=0.68)
ICU Admission NA Not significant
Mechanical Ventilation NA Not significant
Symptom Recovery NA Not significant
Blood Parameters NA Not significant
Chest X-Ray Resolution NA Not significant
Adverse Events 3X more in IVM group Significant
Mortality NA Not significant (p=0.09)

Fact #8 : Ivermectin Clinical Studies Show No Significant Benefit

Here is a meta-analysis of ivermectin RCTs (randomised control trials), with three fraudulent studies removed – Elgazzar, Okomus and Niaee.

Results towards the left suggest a clinical benefit for ivermectin. For the I-TECH study, they used its most promising result – post-study mortality, but even that did not reach clinical significance (p<0.05)

Taken in totality, the latest meta-analysis show that the clinical effect of ivermectin on COVID-19 patients is NOT SIGNIFICANT enough to warrant its use as a treatment.

Fact #9 : Ivermectin Prophylaxis Is Not Cheap

Ivermectin proponents always claim that Big Pharma is against ivermectin because it’s dirt cheap. Ironically, they are now promoting Kowa, which itself is a member of Big Pharma.

While ivermectin is cheap to make and was cheap to buy earlier, its price has been jacked up by the very people promoting it as a cure for COVID-19.

And unlike vaccines, ivermectin is meant to be taken on a regular basis, even daily or with expensive supplements. The end result – ivermectin protocols are far more expensive than COVID-19 vaccines.

The truth is – there is far more money to be made from ivermectin protocols like I-MASK+, than COVID-19 vaccines.

Don’t believe me? Take out your calculator and do the math yourself.

Read more : Is ivermectin prophylaxis cheap? Here is what it really costs!

 

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

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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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Did 10 Countries Cancel All COVID-19 Tests + Vaccinations?

Did 10 countries just cancel all COVID-19 tests, quarantine procedures and vaccinations?

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

 

Claim : 10 Countries Cancelled All COVID-19 Tests + Vaccinations!

This is the first part of a viral message, that appears to be combined from two different viral messages. Read part two.

It claims that 10 countries just cancelled all COVID-19 tests, quarantine procedures and vaccinations, because they now consider COVID-19 to be “just a seasonal flu”.

The following countries announced the cancellation of all quarantine procedures, Corona tests, and compulsory vaccination, and considering Corona just a seasonal flu:

1) Turkey 🇹🇷
2) Brazil 🇧🇷
3) Britain 🇬🇧
4) Sweden 🇸🇪
5) Spain 🇪🇸
6) Czech Republic 🇨🇿
7) Mexico 🇲🇽
8) El Salvador 🇸🇻
9) Japan 🇯🇵
10) Singapore 🇸🇬

 

Truth : Those Countries Did NOT Cancel COVID-19 Tests / Vaccinations!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : None Of Those Countries Cancelled COVID-19 Tests

None of the ten countries mentioned in the viral message cancelled any requirement to test for COVID-19.

Turkey : Travellers must submit negative PCR test taken 72 hours before arrival. Proof of vaccination or negative PCR test within last 48 hours is required to enter certain venues in Turkey. Symptomatic people in Turkey are tested for COVID-19.

Brazil : Travellers must test negative for COVID-19 within 24 hours (RTK) or 72 hours (PCR) before boarding.

Britain : Travellers who are not fully vaccinated must take a COVID-19 test within 2 days before departure, or on arrival in England. Negative COVID-19 tests are still required to enter certain venues in Wales and Scotland.

Sweden : Travellers must be fully-vaccinated or show a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before arrival in Sweden.

Spain : Travellers must be fully-vaccinated or show a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours (PCR) or 48 hours (RAT) before arrival.

Czech Republic : Travellers must present a negative COVID-19 test, irrespective of vaccination status.

Mexico : Travellers were never required to undergo a COVID-19 test.

El Salvador : Travellers were no longer required to present a negative COVID-19 test since 17 November 2021,

Japan : Travellers (including citizens) must submit a negative test result within 72 hours prior to departure.

Singapore : Travellers must submit a negative test result within 48 hours prior to departure.

Fact #2 : None Of Those Countries Cancelled COVID-19 Quarantine

Turkey : Unvaccinated travellers must undergo mandatory quarantine for up to 10 days. COVID-19 positive individuals and unvaccinated close contacts must quarantine for 7 days.

Brazil : Unvaccinated travellers must undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days. COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine for at least 7 days.

Britain : Travellers who are not fully-vaccinated must quarantine for 10 days, until 11 February 2022. After that, only those who test positive on arrival in England must quarantine. COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine for 10 days, including close contacts who are not fully-vaccinated.

Sweden : COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine at home for at least five days.

Spain : COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine at home for at least seven days.

Czech Republic : Close contacts must quarantine for 5 days. COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine for at least 5 days.

Mexico : Travellers were never required to undergo a mandatory quarantine. COVID-19 positive individuals are required to quarantine for 5-10 days.

El Salvador : El Salvador can place municipalities under special quarantine with little to no prior notice.

Japan : Even with a negative test, all travellers from countries where Omicron variant is dominant must self-quarantine for 7 days. Close contacts must quarantine for 7 days,

Singapore : Travellers must quarantine until they receive a negative result for their On-Arrival COVID-19 PCR test. COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine for 10 days.

Fact #3 : None Of Those Countries Cancelled COVID-19 Vaccination

COVID-19 vaccinations are still continuing in all ten countries mentioned in the fake message.

In fact, most of those countries have pretty high vaccination rates :

  • Turkey : 62.1% fully vaccinated
  • Brazil : 70.4% fully vaccinated
  • United Kingdom : 71.9% fully vaccinated
  • Sweden ; 72.9% fully vaccinated
  • Spain : 80.8% fully vaccinated
  • Czech Republic : 63.3% fully vaccinated
  • Mexico : 59.7% fully vaccinated
  • El Salvador : 64.8% fully vaccinated
  • Japan : 79.2% fully vaccinated
  • Singapore : 83.6% fully vaccinated

Fact #4 : None Of Those Countries Considers COVID-19 A Seasonal Flu

While many health experts predict COVID-19 could be “endemic”, that is still not certain.

If COVID-19 becomes endemic, that means SARS-CoV-2 is is impossible to completely eradicate, and is here to stay… forever.

However, it does not mean they consider COVID-19 to be nothing more than “just a seasonal flu”.

For one thing, COVID-19 is far more deadly than the seasonal flu, even though the flu is caused by multiple viruses.

The WHO also considers COVID-19 to be a pandemic, warning that it is too early to treat it as an endemic disease.

“We still have a huge amount of uncertainty and a virus that is evolving quite quickly, imposing new challenges. We are certainly not at the point where we are able to call it endemic.”

No matter how you slice or dice it, COVID-19 is currently not close to being “just a seasonal flu”.

 

Please Support My Work!

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

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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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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