From tomorrow onwards, citizens from 6 countries will start enjoying visa-free travel to China for 15 days! Here is what you need to know!
China Offers Visa-Free Travel For 6 New Countries!
China will start offering visa-free travel to 6 additional countries on a trial basis, starting on 1 December 2023.
On Friday, 24 November 2023, China announced that citizens from these 6 countries will enjoy visa-free travel for up to 15 days:
France
Germany
Italy
The Netherlands
Spain
Malaysia
These six countries will join Singapore, Japan, and Brunei, whose citizens already enjoy visa-free travel to China for up to 15 days.
According to Chinese government spokesperson Mao Ning, China has taken this step to help “promote the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world“.
This visa-free travel for those 6 countries, however, is a trial that will last from 1 December 2023 until 30 November 2024. This trial program may or may not be extended after that.
China Visa-Free Travel To Hopefully Revive Tourism
Travellers to China are generally required to apply for a visa. China is hoping that offering visa-free travel to certain favoured countries will help to revive its tourism industry that has been hard-hit by strict COVID-19 measures in the past 3 years.
China had the world’s strictest COVID-19 measures, maintaining them long after the rest of the world reopened. Even when the Chinese government decided to reopen its borders, it required inbound travellers to quarantine, which discouraged travel
It was only in March 2023 that China began issuing all types of travel visas again, and in July that it restored the 15-day visa-free travel for Singapore, Japan and Brunei. In August, China finally scrapped all COVID-19 test requirements for inbound travellers.
With visa-free travel removing the onerous application for a Chinese travel visa, it is likely that there will be tourists and business visitors who will take opportunity of the one-year trial to visit China. The only question is whether it is a surge, or merely a tiny bump.
After all, potential travellers would need to worry about the lack of access to essential apps like Google Maps, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. as well as popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. There is also the risk of being detained in China, and prevented from returning home.
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China just announced that citizens from 6 countries will enjoy visa-free travel for 15 days! Here is what you need to know!
China : Visa-Free Travel For 6 Countries!
On Friday, 24 November 2023, China announced that citizens from these 6 countries will enjoy visa-free travel for up to 15 days:
France
Germany
Italy
The Netherlands
Spain
Malaysia
These six countries will join Singapore, Japan and Brunei, whose citizens already enjoy visa-free travel to China for up to 15 days.
According to Chinese government spokesperson Mao Ning, China has taken this step to help “promote the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world“.
This visa-free travel for those 6 countries, however, is a trial that will last from 1 December 2023 until 30 November 2024. This trial program may or may not be extended after that.
Travellers to China are generally required to apply for a visa. China appears to be trying out this visa-free travel option to revive its tourism industry that has been hard-hit by strict COVID-19 measures in the past 3 years.
China had the world’s strictest COVID-19 measures, maintaining them long after the rest of the world reopened. Even when the Chinese government decided to reopen its borders, it required inbound travellers to quarantine, which discouraged travel
It was only in March 2023 that China began issuing all types of travel visas again, and in July that it restored the 15-day visa-free travel for Singapore, Japan and Brunei. In August, China finally scrapped all COVID-19 test requirements for inbound travellers.
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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.
Find out why many Western countries repeatedly voted against a UN resolution calling for global action against racism and discrimination!
Updated @ 2023-09-29 : Refreshed after message went viral again Originally posted @ 2023-04-30
Claim : The West Voted Against UN Anti-Racism Bill!
Pro-CCP netizens, as well as the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), are claiming that many Western countries like the US, the UK, and Canada voted against a UN resolution calling for global action against racism and discrimination!
UN introduced a bill that called for global action against racism and discrimination
Here’s Why The West Voted Against UN Anti-Racism Bill!
At first glance, it is easy enough to see why some netizens actually believe that Western countries are being hypocrites, with many sharing comments like these:
Hypocrites who tell you you have freedoms but actually you don’t. But you still think you do.
But the truth is – this is just another example of misinformation and propaganda created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and shared by anti-West netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : It Was A 2020 UN Resolution Against Racism
First, let me just give you some context on the resolution (not a bill) in question.
The claim refers to the 2020 UN resolution called A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
This resolution is not new, and has actually been introduced and voted on every year since 2014.
Fact #2 : It Was A Non-Binding Resolution
That UN anti-racism resolution is also non-binding, which means countries are not compelled to abide by it.
Fact #3 : Many Western Countries Voted Against UN Racism Resolution
Let me confirm that most Western countries voted No to that 2020 UN resolution against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.
Total voting membership : 193
Members voting Yes : 106
Members voting No : 14
Members abstaining : 44
Members who did not vote : 29
Countries that voted No that year were Australia, Canada, Czechia (Czech Republic), Congo, France, Germany, Guyana, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Netherlands, Slovenia, United Kingdom, and United States.
If this UN resolution seems familiar, that is because it is similar to the Anti-Nazi resolution that Russia has submitted every year since 2012, and one which many Western countries consistently voted against, or abstained from voting.
Like this anti-racism UN resolution, that anti-Nazi resolution was hypocritical in nature. Russia did not introduce it to fight Nazism or neo-Nazis, but to justify its annexation of Crimea in March 2014, and its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russia claims that it had to invade Ukraine to “denazify” it, and is using that UN resolution to justify its invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to European Voice before the vote, Lithuania’s foreign minister, Linas Linkevičius, said that “no one should doubt that we are condemning fascism”, but, he continued, “under cover of this condemnation, Russia is pursuing its own agenda”.
Fact #4 : Western Countries Were Against Durban Declaration
Western countries have long boycotted the 2001 Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), and the resulting Durban Review Conference that was called to implement it.
Even though the DDPA ostensibly has laudable goals – to eliminate “racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”, it is being used to promote anti-Semitism, impose restrictions on free speech, and does not address discrimination against the LGBT community.
Our concerns about the 2001 Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) are well-known, including its unfair and unacceptable singling out of Israel and its endorsement of overbroad restrictions on freedom of expression that run counter to the U.S. commitment to robust free speech. But we will always stand ready to work with others in the effort to combat racism, bigotry, and racial discrimination.
After another vote on the same resolution in 2021, the Biden Administration reiterated that the United States remain opposed to the DDPA and its “restrictions on freedom of speech and expression“.
As in previous years, we deeply regret that we cannot support this resolution, which does not genuinely focus on countering racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Among our concerns are the resolution’s endorsement of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action (DDPA), the outcome of the Durban review conference and its endorsement of overbroad restrictions on freedom of speech and expression.
We reject any effort to advance the “full implementation” of the DDPA. We believe this resolution serves as a vehicle to prolong divisions , rather than providing an inclusive way forward for the international community to counter the scourge of racism and racial discrimination.
The United States also opposed the UN anti-racism resolution which called for UN States to implement Article 4 of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
And why is Article 4 of the CERD so offensive to the United States? After all, it calls for UN States to declare an offence punishable by law “all dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred”, amongst other things.
That’s because the United States Constitution provides the right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly and association, and this includes even offensive beliefs like Nazism and racism.
As Nicholas Hill, the Deputy US Representative for ECOSOC explained on November 12, 2021, when the United States voted No on the similar Anti-Nazi UN resolution :
The United States Supreme Court has consistently affirmed the constitutional right to freedom of speech and the rights of peaceful assembly and association, including by avowed Nazis, whose hatred and xenophobia are vile and widely scorned by the American people. We nevertheless firmly defend the constitutional rights of those who exercise their fundamental freedoms to combat intolerance and express strong opposition to the odious Nazi creed and others that espouse similar hatreds.
For these reasons, the United States has voted against each new version of this resolution since 2005 and is, again, compelled to vote “No” on this resolution, and calls on other States to do the same.
Fact #6 : Western Countries Do Not Want To Pay Reparations
The United States also objected to the resolution because it called for “former colonial powers” to provide reparations. That is arguably one of the reasons why so many Western nations voted against the resolution, or at least abstained against it.
We also reject the resolution’s call for “former colonial Powers” to provide reparations “consistent with” the DDPA.
Regardless of the harm colonialism has done in the past, reparations have nothing to do with eliminating racism today and in the future, does it?
Fact #7 : Western Countries Are Less Homogenous Than China
Since the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) appears to be pushing this narrative, I should point out that Western countries are much less homogenous than China.
Most Western countries have a mix of different races, with a significant number of foreign immigrants. Hence, incidents of racism can appear to be more common, simply because their societies are less homogenous than China’s.
According to the China National Bureau of Statistics, there were 2.77 million foreigners living in China at the end of 2019. That may sound like a lot, but that is less than 0.2% of its population of 1.4 billion!
China proudly declares that it has many ethnic groups, but some 91.5% of its native population are Han Chinese. The 55 ethnic minorities constitute a mere 8.5% of its population.
In other words – China is an extremely homogenous society, so there are very few opportunities for racism. It doesn’t mean the Chinese are not racist. It just means that they just don’t have enough engagement with other races to show their tolerance or intolerance to different looks, cultures and beliefs.
Fact #8 : Western Countries Are More Equitable Than China
I should also point out that Western countries are more open to foreign immigrants, with many of them ending up in positions of political and economic power.
The United States, for example, allow foreigners who become its citizens to run for public office, and many do:
Mazie Hirono from Japan : Lieutenant Governor, US Representative, and US Senator for Hawaii
Pramila Jayapal from India : US Representative for Washington, and Washington State Senator
Young Kim from South Korea : US Representative for California
Ted Liu from Taiwan : US Representative for California
Ilhan Omar from Somalia : US Representative for Minnesota
Victoria Spartz from Soviet Union : US Representative for Indiana
It is the same even in business, where many foreign immigrants were able to rise to the top of their industries:
Sundar Pichai from India : CEO of Google
Satya Nadella from India : CEO of Microsoft
Elon Musk from South Africa : CEO of SpaceX, Tesla and Twitter
Jensen Huang from Taiwan : CEO of NVIDIA
Dr. Lisa Su from Taiwan : CEO of AMD
Even though there are many examples of racism in the United States, it remains far more equitable than China, where foreign immigrants do not have the same opportunities as the native Chinese.
Try asking your local pro-CCP activist to name any foreign immigrant who has rose to prominence in politics or business in China, and watch as they gape in stunned silence.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a central committee that consists of 205 full members, and 171 alternate members. Everyone of those 376 central committee members are Chinese natives – there are no foreign immigrants or their children. Not even a token immigrant just for show.
When the CCP Central Committee and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) proudly released their list of top 100 outstanding private entrepreneurs in 2018 – they were all Chinese natives as well. No foreign immigrants or their children were in the list.
This is really nothing more than yet another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
All of the wumao articles that I looked at so far have proven to be false in most instances. So please watch out for such false claims. Here is just the latest dozen,.
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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.
Did Meghan Markle cheat on Prince Harry, by having an affair with her bodyguard Chris Sanchez?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Meghan Markle Had Affair With Chris Sanchez!
People are sharing a Music Mundial article which claims that Meghan Markle cheated on Prince Harry, by having an affair with her bodyguard Chris Sanchez!
Here is the viral Music Mundial article. Please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Meghan Markle allegedly cheated on Prince Harry with a bodyguard named Chris Sánchez
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s marriage has been surrounded by controversies after multiple declarations against the royal family. However, something drew the attention of the media after it was revealed that Meghan Markle allegedly had an affair with her bodyguard.
The rumors first surfaced a couple of months ago. According to In Touch, the Duchess of Sussex had an affair with Christopher Sánchez, a bodyguard who has also worked with the former American presidents George Bush and Barack Obama. He started working for her a couple of months ago and it was love at first sight.
Sánchez is the vice president of Torchstone Global which specializes in risk mitigation and security. Thanks to this job, he was able to connect with the royal couple as Meghan Markle was looking for a bodyguard to protect her family after she and Harry moved to the United States to start a new life far away from the controversies of the royal family.
Christopher Sánchez has always worked in the security field and he has achieved great success being the bodyguard of important former presidents. According to American media, he quit his job when the rumors surfaced on the internet. As of today, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not released any statement regarding the situation.
No Evidence Meghan Markle Had Affair With Chris Sanchez
This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS created by Music Mundial to generate page views, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Is Old Fake News
These claims that Meghan Markle cheated on Prince Harry by having an affair with Chris Sanchez isn’t even new. It’s been circulating since November 2022.
Fact #2 : In Touch Article Does Not Exist
The In Touch article on Meghan Markle cheating on Prince Harry with her bodyguard, Chris Sanchez does not exist.
Fact #3 : No Legitimate Media Reported On Those Rumours
Celebrity rumours are common, and help pay the bills of many media outlets. However, no legitimate media outlets, not even celebrity websites like TMZ, reported on these rumours of an affair between Meghan Markle and her bodyguard, Chris Sanchez.
That’s likely because they looked into the rumour, and found nothing remotely believable. The only sources for this claim are no-name celebrity blogs referring to the same non-existent In Touch article.
Fact #3 : Chris Sanchez Is Still Part Of Their Security Team
Chris Sanchez is a former Secret Service agent, and the Vice President of the security firm, TorchStone Global. He is believed to have joined the security team protecting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and their family sometime in 2021.
He was first seen publicly during the Sussexes’ visit to the Invictus Games at The Hague on Saturday, April 16, 2022. More recently, he was part of the security detail protecting them during the recent paparazzi chase in New York City in May 2023.
The fact that Chris Sanchez continues to work for the couple today shows that even Prince Harry does not believe in the rumours.
Fact #5 : Music Mundial Does Not Offer Any Evidence
Music Mundial did not offer even a single shred of evidence of an affair between Meghan Markle and Chris Sanchez.
Like many no-name celebrity blogs, it only refers to the non-existent In Touch article as the source.
Fact #6 : This Is Just Music Mundial Fake News
This appears to be nothing more than yet another example of celebrity fake news posted by Music Mundial. Here are examples of Music Mundial fake news that I looked into:
Everything Music Mundial posts should be considered as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.
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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.
Did the ICC (International Criminal Court) just issue an arrest warrant for President Joe Biden for attacking the Nord Stream pipelines?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : ICC Just Issued Arrest Warrant For President Joe Biden!
People are sharing a YouTube video which shows the ICC (International Criminal Court) issuing an arrest warrant for President Joe Biden for his role in the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines!
BREAKING NEWS!! Arrest Warrant Issued For President Biden For Nord Stream
How To Be A Hypocrite From AlienJacket Show How The Actions Of The West Divides The World Instead Of Bring It Together.
Truth : ICC Did Not Issue Arrest Warrant For President Joe Biden!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by pro-Russia activists, and promoted / shared by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Video Was From July 2022
While this video is being presented as new – “Breaking News!!“, it is actually more than 9 months old.
I traced the video to the opening statement of ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan QC, which was recorded on July 14, 2022.
Fact #2 : ICC Called For Cooperation Into Ukraine War Crimes Probe
In the original video, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was speaking at the Ukraine Accountability Conference in The Hague, where he called for “an overarching strategy” to bring the perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine to justice.
The simple truth is that, as we speak, children, women and men, the young and the old, are living in terror.
Just in case you are wondering – the Ukraine Accountability Conference was held to coordinate efforts to create a coherent approach in ensuring accountability for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
Fact #3 : Viral Video Features A Fake “Satire” Voice-Over
The video is real, but the original audio was replaced by a fake “satire” voice-over. Karim Khan spoke English in the original video, so there was no need for a translator.
The fake video creator actually mentioned this in the video’s title, but intentionally made the extra long to reduce visibility of that disclaimer. The fake news creator also mentioned the use of a fake voice-over in the description:
BREAKING NEWS!! Arrest Warrant Issued For President Biden For Nord Stream (Satire Interpreter Voice)
How To Be A Hypocrite From AlienJacket Show How The Actions Of The West Divides The World Instead Of Bring It Together. Satire Interpreter Voice To Show What An Alternate Reality Would Look Like Or Prefer. Again, Satire Satire Satire!
This goes to show just how many people don’t bother to even read the title. Of course, when it comes to pro-Russia and pro-CCP netizens, who cares? If it is anti-America, it must be true.
Fact #4 : It Was Posted By A New “Parody” YouTube Account
The viral video was posted by a new YouTube account created on March 15, 2023. So far, this YouTube channel – AlienJacket, posted seven anti-Western videos – six of which are fake “parody” videos.
The only non-parody video is of Zambian politician Fred M’membe criticising the United States at China’s recent “democracy forum” – the the Second International Forum on Democracy.
Fact #5 : Unknown Who Destroyed Nord Stream 2 Pipelines
It is currently unknown who destroyed the Nord Stream 2 pipelines. As far as plausible reasons go, many countries had plausible reasons to destroy the Nord Stream pipelines:
US : To prevent allies in Europe from being held hostage by their reliance on cheap Russian gas.
UK : To encourage allies in Europe to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
Russia : To stop supplying Europe without breaking its gas supply contracts, and/or to divide Europe.
Ukraine : To unite Europe against Russia.
While motive is important, it is not evidence that a country has committed the crime. There has to be actual evidence that the US / UK / Russia / Ukraine did it.
Regardless of what armchair experts may claim, there is simply no conclusive evidence YET that any of those countries are responsible for the destruction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.
Fact #6 : This Is Pro-Russia Propaganda
This is really nothing more than yet another example of pro-Russia propaganda, like these examples:
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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.
Did Western countries collude to strike Turkey with an earthquake, and evacuated their embassies and ambassadors before it happened?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Western Ambassadors Evacuated Before Turkey Earthquake!
Conspiracy theorists are claiming that Western countries colluded to strike Turkey with an earthquake, and evacuated their embassies and ambassadors before it happened!
UPDATED: List of the countries with leading ambassadors that left Turkey 24 hrs before the earthquakes struck.
1. USA 2 Canada 3. Britain 4. Germany 5. Belgium 6. Italy 7. Holland 8. France 9. Denmark 10. Australia
Coincidence? 👀
The earthquake was caused by a DEW (Direct Energy Weapon) that beamed onto the fault lines. 2 anomalies suggest that the earthquake was man-made. 1) Quakes of such magnitude are usually deep – around 30km deep. These were shallow, about 10 km.
2) There were 2 high magnitude quakes one after another – 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. Very unusual. There were hardly any other aftershocks between or after the second quake. Turkey has been trying to leave NATO, and has also been blocking Finland’s and Sweden’s entry into NATO. The quakes were a warning to Turkey to behave or else.
Another anomaly was that 15-20 minutes before the first quake, all the underground gas and oil pipelines in that region were shut off.
No Evidence Western Ambassadors Evacuated Before Turkey Earthquake!
This is just FAKE NEWS created by conspiracy theorists to capitalise on the massive earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023.
Fact #1 : No Evidence Western Ambassadors Evacuated Before Earthquake
While conspiracy theorists confidently rattle off the list of eight countries, they did not actually provide any evidence that those countries evacuated their ambassadors.
There is no evidence, whether from credible media reports, or even social media posts, that any ambassador fled Turkey just before the earthquake hit.
Fact #2 : Six Of The Embassies Refuted The Claim
Reuters reached out to all eight embassies in Turkey about these claims that they were evacuated before the earthquake, and six responded.
Representatives of the embassies of Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherland, and France, told Reuters by email that the allegations are false. The US and Belgian embassies in Turkey have yet to respond.
Fact #3 : Western Ambassadors Seen In Turkey After Earthquake
Several Western ambassadors were seen in photos taken soon after the massive earthquake hit Turkey (here, here, here, here, here, and here).
Fact #4 : Embassies Temporarily Closed Over Terror Threats
The viral claims are sometimes linked to an article by Arab News, which point to the closure of Western embassies three days before the earthquake hit Turkey and Syria.
However, anyone who bothered to read the article would realise that those countries temporarily closed their embassies or issued travel warnings, following a series of far-right protests in Europe, which included several incidents of burning copies of the Quran.
That decision to temporarily close the embassies came right after Turkish police arrested 15 Daesh suspects who were accused of targeting consulates and non-Muslim houses of worship.
The closure of the embassies had nothing to do with the earthquake that came three days later. There is also no evidence that any ambassador or embassy employee was evacuated from Turkey over these security threats.
I should also point out that the US embassy in Turkey did not close over these perceived terror threats.
Fact #5 : Directed Energy Weapons Did Not Cause Earthquake
There is no evidence that Western countries used Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) to cause the earthquake on February 6, 2023.
Directed Energy Weapons is a “catch-all” term referring to weapons that use energy, instead of projectiles, like laser, microwave, particle beams, and sound beams.
While it sounds impressive, directed energy weapons are nowhere near powerful enough to cause earthquakes. Their power also decreases exponentially with range, so they can only be used at relatively close ranges.
Fact #6 : Only Turkey + Iran Claim To Have Directed Energy Weapons
Quite a number of countries are developing directed energy weapons, including China, the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
However, only Turkey and Iran claim to have actually deployed such weapons, with Turkey claiming the first use of directed energy weapons in combat, when it used its ALKA directed-energy weapon to shoot down a Wing Loong II UAV in Libya in August 2019.
The ALKA directed energy weapon has a peak power output of 50 kW, and is designed to destroy drones using its laser at up to 500 m distance, and electromagnetic systems at up to 1 km distance.
The claim that there were “hardly any other aftershocks” is nonsense. A total of 2,109 aftershocks were recorded from 6 to 12 February. By 20 February, over 6,000 aftershocks were recorded.
On top of that, over 320 of those aftershocks had a magnitude of 4.0, with 25 of them recorded within six hours of the main tremor.
Fact #8 : Turkey Is Not Trying To Leave NATO
The claim that Turkey is trying to leave NATO is nonsense.
On January 23, 2023, a Turkish politician called Ethem Sancak said that Turkey might leave NATO in 5-6 months over provocative actions by other NATO members.
However, two days later, a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, Omer Celik, refuted the claim:
We face such things in every election (calls for ending Turkey’s membership of NATO). These are not the things that we will worry about. Those who call for terminating Turkey’s membership of NATO do not talk sense.
This is out of the question. We are one of the founding countries of NATO. They have no right to say such things. What they say would be a luxury for NATO.
I should point out that leaving NATO would automatically open the door for Finland and Sweden to be accepted as a member state, as Turkey is the only country objecting to their ascension.
That is one of the many reasons why Turkey won’t be leaving NATO quite so soon, even if they are thinking about it – Turkey would lose its veto leverage over Finland and Sweden.
Fact #9 : Gas + Oil Pipelines Shut Down After Earthquake
The claim that gas and oil pipelines were shut down 15-20 minutes before the earthquake struck is false. Oil and gas pipelines were shut down after the earthquake, not before.
If they were shut down before the earthquake, that would imply that the Turkish government was in cahoots with the dastardly Western governments using directed energy weapons to punish them for wanting to leave NATO which would deprive Turkey of its ability to blackmail Finland and Sweden.
Can you now see how idiotic such a conspiracy theory sounds, when you lay out the trail of nonsense in the open?
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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.
The US aims to block the construction of new advanced chip fabs in China and countries of concern like Russia.
Here is what you need to know…
US To Fund Building Of Advanced Chip Fabs!
The US Congress just passed the historic CHIPS and Science Act (HR 4346) – a massive $280 billion bill designed to bolster innovation and tech hubs in the United States.
The legislation passed with a Senate vote of 64-33, and a House vote of 243-187, approving :
$76 billion of funding to revive and boost chip production in the United States
$81 billion for the National Science Foundation over 5 years, for research, equipment and STEM education
Almost $10 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology
TSMC, Intel and Samsung are expected to benefit from the billions of dollars of funding, which would subsidise their construction of new advanced chip fabs in the United States.
There is however a big caveat in the legislation that the White House is expected to sign – any company that receives funding will be barred from building new advanced chip fabs in China and other countries of concern, like Russia.
The CHIPS and Sciences Act specifically bars companies that receive federal funding from “materially expanding” production of chips more advanced than 28 nanometres (28 nm) in countries of concern like China and Russia, for 10 years.
28 nm chips are not state-of-art, with production first starting more than 10 years ago – in 2011. However, they are still used in many applications, and China is free to keep producing these chips.
This move though will essentially limit development of advanced chips in China, by blocking foreign chipmakers from investing in more advanced fabs.
Intel had earlier lobbied hard against this move. In late 2021, Intel wanted to expand production in China but was pressured to sell its Dalian wafer plant to South Korea’s SK Hynix. Intel now only has chip packaging and testing facilities in China.
But that changed, and now Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is a big proponent of the bill, even suggesting that it might forego building its Ohio mega fab and shift it to Europe if the legislation did not pass.
Currently, the only semiconductor companies investing in fabs in China are Samsung and TSMC. So if they choose to accept US funding, both companies will have to stop building fabs that can produce chips that are more advanced than 28 nm.
Of the potential recipients of US funding, TSMC is the only company making relatively advanced chips in China. Its Nanjing fabs currently make 28 nm and more advanced 16 nm chips.
Unless TSMC spurns US funding, it won’t be able to invest in more advanced fabs in China. This will force China to rely on its own SMIC to develop more advanced chipmaking technologies.
US Quietly Expands Chip Equipment Ban To Fabs In China
In addition to the looming CHIPS Act, the US government also expanded its ban on the sale of machines for fabricating advanced chips.
The US government had earlier banned the sale of tools that allow China to manufacture chips at 10 nm or smaller. That ban was just extended to include tools that would allow the manufacture of chips 14 nm or smaller.
American equipment makers like LAM Research and KLA Corp. have received letters about this expanded ban, which appears to be limited to logic chips (like computer processors), but not memory chips.
According to the US Commerce Department, the move was meant to impair China’s ability to manufacture advanced chips :
The Biden Administration is focused on impairing PRC efforts to manufacture advanced semiconductors to address significant national security risks to the United States.
However, this move appears to be merely officiating what is already being practiced – the US Commerce Department had already declined many licences to sell 14nm fab equipment.
The Biden Administration is also pushing the Netherlands and Japan to ban ASML Holdings NV and Nikon Corp from selling advanced chip making equipment to China.
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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.
Was WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros just arrested for crimes against humanity?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : WHO DG Dr. Tedros Was Just Arrested!
After WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus announced that the monkeypox outbreak was a global emergency, Vancouver Times posted a story claiming that he was soon arrested for crimes against humanity.
It’s a long post, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the current director of the World Health Organization (WHO) has been arrested by Interpol and is being held in prison for crimes against humanity and genocide. This comes as police agencies across the world have begun targeting politicians, businessmen, and corporate leaders for their role in the “plandemic,” and for pushing unnecessary and deadly vaccines on the human population.
Interpol recently issued an arrest warrant for Ghebreyesus and he was caught on an airplane trying to escape to Africa with a large amount of cash and expensive jewelry. He is being transported to Holland to stand trial for his crimes. If found guilty, he faces the death penalty.
Born in the African country of Eritrea, Dr Tedros holds a multitude of university degrees, including a Master of Science (MSc) in Immunology of Infectious Diseases from the University of London.
Ghebreyesus has faced calls for arrest previously, due to his promotion of the dangerous, untested Covid-19 vaccine. Thousands of people worldwide have died as a result of the vaccine, something that the media has been hiding from the public.
In addition, Ghebreyesus is a prolific human right abuser. Right-wing libertarian John Ruddick is one of the many people that publicly called for Ghebreyesus’ imprisonment. Millions of Africans have already died under Ghebreyesus’ watch.
Ghebreyesus’ is the first member of the WHO to be charged with crimes against humanity. Even if he is not given the death penalty, Ghebreyesus will likely spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.
Interpol confirmed with the Vancouver Times that Klaus Schwab and Bill Gates are also under investigation and could face similar charges.
The mainstream media and big tech want to hide the truth. Beat them at their own game by sharing this article!
Truth : WHO DG Dr. Tedros Was Not Arrested By Interpol?!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by Vancouver Times to generate page views and money from gullible people.
Fact #1 : Vancouver Times Is A Fake News Website
Vancouver Times is a “content aggregator” (copy and paste) website that is known for creating fake news to generate more page views and money.
To look legitimate, they copy and paste news from legitimate news organisations. To drive traffic, they create fake news, sometimes masked as “satire”.
To give themselves a veneer of deniability, they label themselves as a “satire website” in their About Us section.
Vancouver Times is the most trusted source for satire on the West Coast. We write satirical stories about issues that affect conservatives.
Here are some of their fake news that we debunked :
Just to be clear – Dr. Tedros was not arrested, or charged with crimes against humanity, by INTERPOL.
For one thing – Dr. Tedros issued a public statement on World Drowning Prevention Day, one day after Vancouver Times posted their fake story.
You may also note that neither the INTERPOL or any mainstream media announced the arrest, which would have been worldwide news.
Yet, there has been zero coverage, and that’s because it never happened.
Fact #3 : INTERPOL Has No Jurisdiction In Any Country
INTERPOL is an international organisation that facilitates police cooperation between different countries.
It acts as a liaison between police organisations, and does NOT have any jurisdiction in any country.
Just in case there is any confusion, INTERPOL does NOT have agents with the power to arrest anyone in any country around the world.
Fact #4 : Bill Gates + Klaus Schwab Arrests Were False
To bait conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccination activists into sharing their fake news, Vancouver Times falsely claimed that both Bill Gates and Klaus Schwab are under investigation, and could soon be arrested.
They were both falsely claimed to have been arrested last year, by the infamous Conservative Beaver.
COVID-19 vaccines underwent massive clinical trials, and were only approved after they were proven to be safe and effective.
In addition, they were constantly monitored after they received their approvals, which picked up rare side effects after they were administered to billions of people.
Anti-vaccination activists have often claimed that those who received the vaccine would die. Yet, the opposite was true – the vaccines are not only safe, they are effective in protecting people from getting hospitalised or dying from COVID-19.
Even prominent antivaxxer Steve Kirsch is healthy and well, despite being fully-vaccinated against COVID-19!
Fact #6 : There Is No Such Thing As A Publication Ban
Vancouver Times likes to use the “media blackout” claim, to explain why you can’t find any reputable media outlet reporting on the arrest of Dr. Tedros.
That’s utter and complete bullshit. No one – not a judge, not even the US government – can control the worldwide media, or prevent anyone from writing about his arrest.
You can also be sure that even if the mainstream media refused to run the story, it would have been reported by many other websites and bloggers.
Yet, not a single blogger or online website published their account of this incredible story? That’s because IT NEVER HAPPENED…
Fact #7 : Mainstream Media + Big Tech Would Have Loved The Hype
Vancouver Times is gaslighting you about how mainstream media and Big Tech want to hide the “truth” about Dr. Tedros’ (non-existent) arrest.
They would all loved such shocking news, because it would have driven tons of traffic and engagement to their websites / platforms.
In fact, that was precisely why Vancouver Times created the fake story – to drive traffic, for the ad money.
Everything that Vancouver Times publishes should be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.
Please help us fight fake news websites like Vancouver Times – SHARE this fact check out, and 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.
Did China successfully fabricate 7nm chips, despite US sanctions on advanced chip manufacturing technology?
Well, yes, but not quite. Here is what you need to know about China’s mysterious 7nm chips!
China Made 7nm Chips In Spite Of US Sanctions!
A TechInsights report recently concluded that China has successfully created 7nm chips since last year.
This caused quite a ruckus, because it essentially meant that China jumped two generations ahead in chip manufacturing technology!
The TechInsights team bought a MinerVa mining ASIC which used a custom chip that has been manufactured by China’s SMIC since July 2021.
When they examined the chip, they discovered that it was fabricated on a 7nm process that appears to be a “close copy” of a 7nm process used by TSMC – the Taiwanese foundry giant.
The MinerVa chip is small – at just 19.3 mm², with 120 chips populating the MinerVa board. Each mining ASIC has 3 of these boards, for a total of 360 chips and a total power consumption of 3300 watts.
This discovery is deeply concerning to many people, because it meant that China has more advanced chip manufacturing technology than is even available in the United States or EU.
After all, US sanctioned the sale of advanced chip manufacturing technology to China – which was meant to crippled China’s ability to manufacture such chips.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer used this report to stress the danger of delaying the $50 billion subsidy package for semiconductor manufacturing in the United States.
Members of both sides know that America’s chips crisis is sending shock waves across the economy.
It is endangering our national security. […] China’s top chips maker has now likely advanced its tech by two generations, threatening U.S. competitiveness.
But the situation really isn’t as dire as many people make it out to be…
SMIC / China Barely Made Those 7nm Chips
After the report was released, the Internet fell into two main camps – American politicians and China hawks bemoaning the “loss” of Western chip making advantage, and pro-CCP netizens celebrating it.
First, let me start by congratulating China / SMIC on achieving this feat despite being hobbled by US sanctions on crucial chipmaking technology.
Whether China / SMIC “copied / stole / bought” the technology knowhow from TSMC whose 7nm process it closely resembles, it is still a remarkable achievement.
That said, SMIC / China barely made those 7nm chips, and here are the reasons why…
SMIC manufactured these 7nm chips using older Deep Ultraviolet Lithography (DUV) machines, instead of the state-of-art Extreme Ultraviolet Light (EUV) lithography machines made by Dutch company ASML.
This isn’t extraordinary in itself – TSMC and Samsung had much earlier developed 7nm process nodes using the older DUV machines. However, this comes at the cost of “increased process complexity and design rule restrictions“.
That is likely why the MinerVa chip is not only very small, it actually lacks SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) that is critical in processors that run our computers and smartphones.
The simpler design and small size allow SMIC to obtain sufficient workable chips, even with a poor yield. However, the cost of chip would be much higher than if it was manufactured on a higher-quality process.
So for all intents and purposes – this should be considered as a niche / prototype 7nm process, and not a true 7nm process node.
On top of that, SMIC apparently isn’t capable of producing large quantities of these 7nm chips, suggesting either a yield problem, or difficulty in scaling up.
MinerVa has not been able to deliver the mining ASICs based on these SMIC 7nm chips in large numbers. A Bitcoin mining company – Stronghold Digital Mining, for example, said that it ordered 15,000 miners from MinerVa but only received about 3,200 units as of March 2022.
For China / SMIC to present a true “threat” as far as chipmaking is concerned, it would have to be capable of manufacturing MILLIONS of chips, not thousands.
Regardless of whether the Americans are howling in despair, or the pro-CCP netizens are howling in delight, China really does not have true 7nm chipmaking capability for mass production yet.
And even if they somehow manage to improve and scale up this 7nm DUV process, they cannot make more advanced chips without EUV machines made by ASML.
As long as the Dutch government holds firm on blocking sale of ASML’s EUV machines to China, this is likely as far as they can go… unless they invade Taiwan, which is where TSMC is based and has the world’s most advanced chip manufacturing facilities.
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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.
Did the Dutch government just close thousands of farms and cattle ranches to fight climate change?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Dutch Government Closed Farms To Fight Climate Change!
People have been sharing videos of angry farmers blocking roads with their tractors, claiming that they are protesting the closure of farms and cattle ranchers by the Dutch government.
Such videos are now being spread in pro-CCP groups as “evidence” of corrupt Western governments, or how Western governments oppress the common people.
28 June 2022 As the Dutch government closed dozens of farms and cattle ranches to reduce nitrogen by 30%. Angry and hungry farmers blocked the roads nationwide Corrupt Dutch govt trying to artificially create food shortage.
Following politicians’ decision to close dozens of farms and cattle ranches to reduce nitrogen to comply with absurd EU rules on nitrogen pollution, angry Dutch farmers have issued an ultimatum and are threatening to block the country’s airports, ports and distribution centers.
The Dutch government wants to close 17,000 farms out of 50,000 by 2030 to reduce Nitrogen emissions. Their “leaders” have bought into the climate change hysteria during a time of impending global food shortages. These bozos have a few screws missing.
Truth : Dutch Government Did NOT Close Farms To Fight Climate Change!
These posts appear to be an intentional “misunderstanding” of the facts surrounding these Dutch farmers’ protests.
These protests have been covered extensively, and so have the Dutch government’s proposal. So it seems incredulous that people would continue to lie about this issue.
Fact #1 : Dutch Government Did NOT Close Any Farm / Cattle Ranch
Let’s start with the most basic fact – the Dutch government did not close any farm or cattle ranch. This is complete and utter nonsense.
There are no laws in the Netherlands that would permit the Dutch government to forcibly take over, or shut down, any farm or cattle ranch.
This kind of blatant lie can only perpetuate in the minds of conspiracy nutcases, and Chinese netizens because only authoritarian governments (like the CCP in China) are capable of such actions.
Seizing and closing farms and cattle ranch may be possible for the government in China, but not in the Netherlands.
In fact, the Dutch government has offered BUY OUT (not close) farms near nature reserves.
Fact #2 : Dutch Farmers Have Been Protesting Since 2019!
What many of these “concerned netizens” (intentionally?) do not tell you is that Dutch farmers have been protesting against such climate change laws since 2019.
Dutch farmers protest in October 2019
Fact #3 : The Government Was Complying With A Court Order
This issue actually started way back in May 2019, the Dutch Administrative Court of the Council of State (the highest administrative body in the Netherlands) ruled that the Dutch government breached EU rules on protecting nature reserves from ammonia and nitrous oxide.
The Dutch Administrative Court suspended permits for all construction projects that pollute the atmosphere with nitrogen compounds, stalling the building of new homes, roads and airport runways… as well as the expansion of dairy, pig and poultry farms.
Fact #4 : Dutch Government Tried Other Measures First
To comply with the court order, the Dutch government tried other measures first.
For example, in 2020, they cut the maximum speed limit on roads in the Netherlands from 130 km/h to just 100 km/h for most of the day, to reduce nitrous oxide emissions.
The government also allocated more money to help farmers reduce emissions from pigs, and changed the composition of animal feed.
Fact #5 : Dutch Farms Produce A Lot Of Pollution
The problem is partly caused by Dutch farmers themselves. Their farms are highly concentrated, with four times more animal biomass per hectare than the EU average.
Dutch agriculture is responsible for 40% of the nitrogen pollution in the Netherlands. The entire construction sector, for example, is only responsible for 0.6% of nitrogen emissions.
Thanks to its large livestock sector, and intensive use of fertiliser, the Netherlands – the world’s second-largest agricultural exporter – is also one of the top greenhouse gas emitters in Europe.
Fact #6 : Only Farms Near Nature Reserves Are In Danger
Depending on their proximity to nature reserves (Natura-2000 areas), Dutch farms will have to reduce their nitrogen emissions by 12% to 70%.
Those located in or close to the Natura-2000 areas will be particularly hard-hit by the new nitrogen limits :
40% of the nitrogen sensitive Natura-2000 areas must be below the critical deposition value (< 255 mole per hectare) in 2025,
50% of the nitrogen sensitive Natura-2000 areas must be below the critical deposition value in 2030, and
74% of the nitrogen sensitive Natura-2000 areas must be below the critical deposition value in 2035.
Fact #7 : Provincial Government To Formulate Emission Reduction Plan
While the Dutch government came up with the plan to reduce nitrogen emissions to meet EU requirements, it is up to the Dutch provinces to develop the necessary measures to hit those targets.
Provincial governments have a year to formulate their own plans, to meet the pollution reduction targets.
Fact #8 : This Is Part Of EU Natura 2000 Conservation Efforts
This isn’t just a Dutch issue, it is actually part of the EU effort to protect the Natura 2000 network of vulnerable and endangered plant and animal habitats.
The Natura 2000 sites cover some 18% of the European Union land area, and 8% of its marine territory.
Fact #9 : Dutch Government Is Financing Agricultural Reforms
To help farmers meet those targets, the Dutch government has earmarked an extra €24.3 billion (about US$25.6 billion) to finance agricultural reforms and their existing buy-out programs.
Farmers who accept the government buy-out program can still open a new farm at a less sensitive location, as long as they substantially reduce nitrogen emissions.
Fact #10 : Protests Are ALLOWED In Real Democracies
What Chinese netizens may not be aware is that protests are not only common, they are allowed in real democracies.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, for example, defended the farmers’ right to protest, but reminded them not to break the law :
Freedom of speech and the right to demonstrate are a vital part of our democratic society, and I will always defend them.
But … it is not acceptable to create dangerous situations, it is not acceptable to intimidate officials, we will never accept that.
With the exception of a few farmers setting bales of hay on fire outside town halls and near roads, and attacking police officers, the majority of farmers have protested the proposed plan peacefully.
So what the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens are deriding as chaos, is really just people expressing their real freedom of speech, which includes the right to protest. Try that in China, and see what that gets you.
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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.
The WHO has convened an emergency meeting on the monkeypox outbreak that has spread to 56 countries!
Here is what you need to know…
WHO Convenes Emergency Meeting On Monkeypox Outbreak!
On 23 June 2022, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus convened an emergency committee meeting under Article 48 of the International Health Regulations to discuss the current monkeypox outbreak.
Chaired by Dr. Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele and Dr. Nicola Low, this emergency WHO meeting on monkeypox is only open to members and advisors of the Emergency Committee.
The findings of this emergency meeting would be conveyed to the Director-General of WHO, on whether the outbreak should be classified as a public health emergency of international concern, and also on potential recommendations on how to address it.
This meeting comes as an NGO called World Health Network (unrelated to WHO) issued a press release describing the current monkeypox outbreak as a “pandemic”, urging “immediate and effective action” from country and global health authorities.
This led to a bit of confusion, as their names and acronyms were similar (WHO vs WHN). To be clear, WHO has not declared a monkeypox pandemic.
Over 4,000 Monkeypox Cases Confirmed In 56 Countries!
Discovered in 1958, the first human infection was only reported in 1970, and there were only like 400 cases from 1970 to 1986.
Monkeypox became more common over time, with 2000 cases per year reported between 2011 and 2014, and several outbreaks in the US (2003 and 2021), UK (2018 and 2021), and Singapore (2019)..
However, nothing has come close to the 2022 monkeypox outbreak which has now affected at least 56 countries outside of endemic African countries, with over 4,000 cases!
Country
Confirmed
Cases
Suspected
Cases
Total
Spain
918
100
1,018
United Kingdom
793
–
793
Germany
676
–
676
France
330
–
330
Portugal
328
–
328
Canada
223
45
268
United States
173
–
173
Netherlands
167
–
167
Italy
85
–
85
Belgium
77
1
78
Switzerland
52
–
52
Ireland
28
–
28
Ghana
18
–
18
Brazil
11
6
17
Israel
16
–
16
Australia
13
–
13
Denmark
13
–
13
Sweden
13
–
13
UAE
13
–
13
Austria
12
–
12
Poland
12
–
12
Mexico
9
–
9
Slovenia
9
–
9
Hungary
7
–
7
Czech Republic
6
–
6
Uganda
–
6
6
Romania
5
–
5
Argentina
4
–
4
Finland
4
–
4
Malta
4
–
4
Norway
4
–
4
Somalia
–
4
4
Chile
3
–
3
Colombia
3
–
3
Greece
3
–
3
Iceland
3
–
3
Bulgaria
2
–
2
Latvia
2
–
2
Morocco
1
1
2
Bahamas
–
1
1
Cayman Islands
–
1
1
Fiji
–
1
1
Georgia
1
–
1
Gibraltar
1
–
1
Haiti
–
1
1
Libya
–
1
1
Lebanon
1
–
1
Luxembourg
1
–
1
Serbia
1
–
1
Singapore
1
–
1
South Africa
1
–
1
South Korea
1
–
1
Uruguay
–
1
1
Venezuela
1
–
1
Zambia
–
1
1
TOTAL
4,049
170
4,219
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.
Over 560 monkeypox cases have now been confirmed in at least 25 countries outside of Africa!
Find out if the monkeypox outbreak could become a new pandemic we have to worry about!
Over 560 Monkeypox Cases Confirmed In 25 Countries!
People are now worried about the rapid spread of monkeypox globally. although the WHO has said that it is unlikely to become a pandemic like COVID-19.
Discovered in 1958, the first human infection was only reported in 1970, and there were only like 400 cases from 1970 to 1986.
Monkeypox became more common over time, with 2000 cases per year reported between 2011 and 2014, and several outbreaks in the US (2003 and 2021), UK (2018 and 2021), and Singapore (2019)..
However, nothing has come close to the 2022 monkeypox outbreak which has now affected at least 25 countries outside of Africa, with over 560 cases!
Country
Confirmed
Cases
Suspected
Cases
Total
United Kingdom
179
–
179
Spain
120
–
120
Portugal
96
–
96
Canada
26
37
63
Germany
33
–
33
Netherlands
26
–
26
France
17
–
17
United States
15
–
15
Italy
14
–
14
Belgium
9
–
9
Czech Republic
5
–
5
Switzerland
4
–
4
UAE
4
–
4
Sweden
3
–
3
Ireland
2
1
3
Argentina
2
–
2
Australia
2
–
2
Denmark
2
–
2
Israel
2
–
2
Slovenia
2
–
2
Austria
1
–
1
Finland
1
–
1
Malta
1
–
1
Mexico
1
–
1
Thailand
1
–
1
TOTAL
568
56
617
Monkeypox Cases May Increase, But Unlikely To Become Pandemic
On 30 May 2022, the World Health Organisation’s top monkeypox expert, Dr. Rosamund Lewis, gave a public briefing on the 2022 monkeypox outbreak.
Here is a summary of the key points Dr. Lewis shared in that public session :
She does not expect the monkeypox outbreak to turn into another pandemic like COVID-19.
There are still many unknowns about this outbreak, including how exactly it is spreading.
The suspension of mass smallpox immunisation decades ago may have resulted in increased transmission.
Vast majority of current cases seen in gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men.
There is a higher proportion of people with fewer visible lesions that are more concentrated in the genital region, and sometimes nearly impossible to see. This is a danger because they are infectious even though their lesions are not visible.
There is a window of opportunity to shut down the outbreak so it does not become endemic in new areas.
Fortunately, the 2022 monkeypox outbreak appears to be of the less virulent West African strain, because there is no proven treatment.
The smallpox vaccine can offer up to 85% protection against monkeypox, and certain antiviral treatments can be attempted.
But otherwise – hospitals can only offer supportive treatment as the patient isolates for 2-4 weeks until the disease resolves.
Monkeypox primarily spreads through close contact, but can spread through respiratory droplets. However, it is far less contagious and is not airborne like COVID-19.
Infected people are also not considered contagious until they start showing symptoms, which limits transmission. This is unlike COVID-19 which is often spread by people who are asymptomatic.
The best way to describe its ability to infect people would be to understand its R0 (Reproduction Number, pronounced as R naught) – how many people an infected person is expected to pass the disease along to.
The ancestral COVID-19 virus has an R0 of between 2 to 3, which increased to 8 with the Omicron variant. That’s really contagious – every infected person will (on average) transmit the virus to 8 other people.
On the other hand, past outbreaks of monkeypox had an R0 of less than one. That means even though there may be clusters of several cases, even outbreaks, the cases die out on their own.
Virus
R0
Measles
12 to 18
Omicron COVID-19
8
Smallpox
5 to 7
Ancestral COVID-19
2 to 3
H1N1 (2009)
1.5 to 2.5
Monkeypox
<1
Monkeypox fortunately does not spread very efficiently between humans. Generally, you need to have skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, or come into contact with his/her bodily fluids, to get infected.
The people most at risk would be close contacts of the infected person, like family members or healthcare workers taking care of them.
Transmission is really happening from close physical contact, skin-to-skin contact. It’s quite different from COVID in that sense.
– Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO Infectious Disease Epidemiologist
It’s not as highly transmissible as something like smallpox, or measles, or certainly not Covid. It does not spread easily from person to person, the risk to the general public is low.
– Anne Rimoin, infectious disease epidemiologist at University of California.
That is why it is very unlikely to become a pandemic, although if it spreads to susceptible rodent populations, it could become endemic in those areas.
There is also the fact that the monkeypox is so closely related to the smallpox virus, the smallpox vaccine offers 85% protection against monkeypox infections.
In fact, one smallpox vaccine – JYNNEOS – was approved in the United States to serve as protection against monkeypox. Even though there is no public access to this vaccine, that can quickly change.
Several countries, including the United States, have strategic reserves of smallpox vaccines, which can be deployed in a monkeypox outbreak.
Countries have also started purchasing smallpox vaccines :
19 May 2022 : Spain’s Ministry of Health announced that it was in the process of purchasing thousands of doses of smallpox vaccines
24 May 2022 : CDC announced that the US is in the process of releasing some JYNNEOS smallpox vaccine doses for people who are “high risk”.
25 May 2022 : the German government announced that it was buying 40,000 doses of the JYNNEOS smallpox vaccine from Bavarian Nordic.
26 May 2022 : the UK Health Security Agency announced that it purchased 20,000 doses of the JYNNEOS smallpox vaccine from Bavarian Nordic.
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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.
Monkeypox primarily spreads through close contact, but can spread through respiratory droplets. However, it is far less contagious and is not airborne like COVID-19.
Infected people are also not considered contagious until they start showing symptoms, which limits transmission. This is unlike COVID-19 which is often spread by people who are asymptomatic.
The best way to describe its ability to infect people would be to understand its R0 (Reproduction Number, pronounced as R naught) – how many people an infected person is expected to pass the disease along to.
The ancestral COVID-19 virus has an R0 of between 2 to 3, which increased to 8 with the Omicron variant. That’s really contagious – every infected person will (on average) transmit the virus to 8 other people.
On the other hand, past outbreaks of monkeypox had an R0 of less than one. That means even though there may be clusters of several cases, even outbreaks, the cases die out on their own.
Virus
R0
Measles
12 to 18
Omicron COVID-19
8
Smallpox
5 to 7
Ancestral COVID-19
2 to 3
H1N1 (2009)
1.5 to 2.5
Monkeypox
<1
Monkeypox fortunately does not spread very efficiently between humans. Generally, you need to have skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, or come into contact with his/her bodily fluids, to get infected.
The people most at risk would be close contacts of the infected person, like family members or healthcare workers taking care of them.
Transmission is really happening from close physical contact, skin-to-skin contact. It’s quite different from COVID in that sense.
– Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO Infectious Disease Epidemiologist
It’s not as highly transmissible as something like smallpox, or measles, or certainly not Covid. It does not spread easily from person to person, the risk to the general public is low.
– Anne Rimoin, infectious disease epidemiologist at University of California.
That is why it is very unlikely to become a pandemic, even though it is really abnormal for so many outbreaks to occur simultaneously.
There is also the fact that the monkeypox is so closely related to the smallpox virus, the smallpox vaccine offers 85% protection against monkeypox infections.
In fact, one smallpox vaccine – JYNNEOS – was approved in the United States to serve as protection against monkeypox. Even though there is no public access to this vaccine, that can quickly change.
Several countries, including the United States, have strategic reserves of smallpox vaccines, which can be deployed in a monkeypox outbreak.
We have already worked to secure sufficient supply of effective treatments and vaccines to prevent those exposed from contracting monkeypox and treating people who’ve been affected.
– Dr. Raj Panjabi, White House Pandemic Office.
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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.
Is the International Court of Justice (ICJ) going to judge Malaysia over side effects caused by the COVID-19 vaccine?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : ICJ To Judge Malaysia Over COVID-19 Vaccine Injury Cases!
People are sharing a video and a message on WhatsApp, claiming that the International Court of Justice – ICJ – will soon judge Malaysia over side effects caused by the COVID-19 vaccine!
They also claim that both the Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, and the Director-General of Health, Noor Hisham Abdullah, could stand before the ICJ and the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against the people.
The post is very long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…
[Khairy and Noor Hisham will face the International Court of Justice]
Malaysia will be the first country in the offce world to immediately refer AEFI cases or deaths due to Covid-19 vaccines to civil, criminal and judicial courts…
Khairy Jamaluddin, Noor Hisham and others may be brought to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands and the High Court of Malaysia for crimes against humanity…
The gentlemen of Mohamad Zainuddin & Co held a press conference announcing that they had successfully obtained the COVID-19 Special Adjudication Tribunal’s “ex parte adjudication” order on a “toxic experimental premature vaccine” issued by a Malaysian court in arbitration.
Courts of Arbitration are internationally recognized organizations such as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, or PCA for short.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration is an intergovernmental organization that provides the services of international tribunals, such as the recent lawsuit brought by the Sultan of Sulu against Sabah.
The PCA is neutral and not bound by the United Nations to avoid international conflicts of interest in resolving issues of maritime borders, sovereignty, investment, and international trade and human rights…
In the two video series above, the lead lawyer and founder of the law firm from Mr Mohamad Zainuddin, claims to be the first to bring the AEFI case to the public stage…
They also claim that more than 20,000 deaths from Covid-19 were actually the result of vaccinations, not natural deaths from the pandemic virus.
Meanwhile, as many as 1 million serious injuries have been reported among vaccinators in Malaysia.
It is not impossible if the death rate in the country has risen sharply by 60.5% compared to 2017-2020, as revealed by the Department of Statistics Malaysia in November 2021…
Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Health, 2020 will see 113,000 Covid-19 cases, compared to 19,000 in 2021…
According to CovidNow, the period with the highest number of vaccinations was from July 2021 to October 2021, while the highest Covid-19 death toll also hit a record of more than 500 deaths per day between July 2021 and October 2021 For the record, it’s no coincidence…
The AEFI case in Malaysia will be brought before the International Court of Justice and the International Court of Justice of the International Chamber of Commerce and has been submitted to the Attorney General for acceptance and judicial review in the High Court.
Truth : ICJ Is NOT Going To Judge Malaysia Over Vaccine Injury Cases!
This is yet another example of misinformation created by anti-vaccination activists to mislead you into thinking that the COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous.
Even though I’m no lawyer, these facts will show you why this is nothing more than just theatrics…
Fact #1 : ICJ Only Accepts Cases From Countries
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations based in The Hague, Netherlands.
Its role is to settle legal disputes between States (countries), and to give advisory opinions on legal questions by authorised UN organs and agencies.
The ICJ only entertains legal disputes submitted by States (countries). It does not entertain legal disputes brought forward by any individual or corporation.
So it is most peculiar for any individual to claim that they filed any case with the ICJ…
Fact #2 : PCA Only Accepts Cases From Countries
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is a non-UN intergovernmental organisation, also located in The Hague, Netherlands.
Tribunals under the PCA only have jurisdiction for disputes that are based on the PCA founding documents (the Conventions on Pacific Settlement of International Disputes), or based on bilateral and multilateral treaties.
More importantly, the PCA only arbitrates between member countries, and does not accept cases from individuals or companies.
So it is peculiar for any individual to claim that they intend to file, or have already filed, a case with the PCA.
Fact #3 : Malaysia Is Not An ICC Member
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organisation and tribunal, also based in The Hague, Netherlands.
It only has jurisdiction in States (countries) that have signed and ratified the Rome Statute. While Malaysia signed the Rome Statute in March 2019, it has not ratified it and is therefore not yet a member of the ICC.
The ICC therefore does not have jurisdiction over Malaysia, and filing any complaint with the ICC over any matter regarding Malaysia would be pointless.
Fact #4 : There Is No Arbitration Court Of Malaysia
If you look at the letter that the lawyer, Mohamad Zainuddin, held up as evidence of the court case, it actually refers to an Arbitration Court of Malaysia.
IN ARBITRATION COURT OF MALAYSIA KUALA LUMPUR
As far as I can tell – there is no such Arbitration Court of Malaysia. The leading arbitration institution in Malaysia is the Asia International Arbitration Centre (AIAC).
I could be wrong of course, so if you do know of such an arbitration court in Malaysia, do let me know.
Fact #5 : The Letter Appears To Refer To A Civil Claim
Again, I’m no lawyer, but the letter he held appears to be referring to a civil claim for damages.
ADJUDICATION MATTER NO:L-10-011-2022
SPECIAL TRIBUNAL OF ADJUDICATION
COVID-19 EXPERIMENTAL-PREMATURE VACCINE
[Order 15 Rule 1, 4, 12 of the Rules of High Court 2012 [Class Action]
[The Application by Claimants for Special Tribunal of Adjudication for Civil Liability and Special Damages including Exemplary Compensation against twenty [20] Respondents in this action being fully responsible in executing the Covid-19 Experimental-premature Vaccine]
The letter does not refer to the ICC, the PCA or even the ICJ. Neither does it mention any charges of crimes against humanity.
Fact #6 : COVID-19 Vaccines Are No Longer Experimental
The letter refers to the COVID-19 vaccine as “experimental-premature”, which is false.
The COVID-19 vaccines are only experimental whilst they are under development, or undergoing clinical trials.
They are no longer experimental once they successfully clear their clinical trials, and receive either an emergency use authorisation or full approval from a health authority like the US FDA or EMA.
Phase 3 trials, incidentally, ended in 2020 for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, and they both received their EUA in December 2020.
I should also point out that the Pfizer vaccine received its full FDA approval on 23 August 2021, while the AstraZeneca vaccine received its full EU approval on 29 January 2021.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) also renewed the authorisation for these vaccines :
Moderna Spikevax : 4 October 2021
Pfizer COMIRNATY : 3 November 2021
Johnson & Johnson Janssen : 3 January 2022
None of those COVID-19 vaccines are experimental. They have all passed their clinical tests, and have been approved. You should also know that no experimental vaccine can be administered to the public.
The COVID-19 vaccines were proven safe and effective in the massive Phase 2/3 trials that involved hundreds of thousands of volunteers.
These COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials are much larger than the usual clinical trials for new drugs or vaccines.
On top of that, they continue to undergo post-marketing surveillance, to catch very rare side effects like myocarditis (risk of less than 1 in million).
With so much clinical data, there is no way anyone can say that the vaccines are dangerous, or experimental.
Now that you know the facts, please help to fight fake news – SHARE this article out!
And please protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating them 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.
Watch the viral video of shipping containers toppling over, and find out if it happened during the Sumatra earthquake!
Claim : Sumatra Earthquake Toppled These Shipping Containers!
At 9:39 AM on 25 February 2022, people across South East Asia felt the tremors of a 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Almost immediately, netizens started sharing pictures and videos of people evacuating buildings, including a viral video of shipping containers toppling over.
Some people alleged it happened in Port Klang, Malaysia while others claim it happened in Pekan Baru, Indonesia.
Truth : Storm Eunice Toppled Shipping Containers, Not Sumatra Earthquake!
This is yet another example of fake news circulating on WhatsApp, and here are the facts…
Fact #1 : Video Was Recorded 6 Days Earlier
The video is genuine, but was recorded 6 days before the Sumatra earthquake on 19 February 2022.
Fact #2 : It Happened At Rotterdam Port
The video was not recorded at Port Klang in Malaysia, or Pekan Baru in Indonesia.
The video was recorded at the Port of Rotterdam – Europe’s largest seaport, and half a world away from the Sumatra earthquake.
Fact #3 : Tremors Were Mild In Malaysia
While many people in the Klang Valley felt the tremors from the Sumatra earthquake, they were relatively mild.
They were certainly not strong enough to topple shipping containers, even empty ones.
Fact #4 : Storm Eunice Toppled Those Containers
The containers seen in the video were toppled by Storm Eunice, which recorded wind gusts of up to 196 km per hour (122 miles per hour).
Four people were killed in The Netherlands, not by those containers, but by fallen trees.
Please help us fight fake news by sharing this article, or the fact check video above!
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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.
With the Omicron variant rapidly spreading across the globe, Malaysia has initiated new measures to block it from reaching our shores.
Here is what you need to know…
New Measures To Block Omicron Variant From Malaysia!
On 1 December 2021, the Malaysia Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin announced a series of new measures to block the Omicron variant from reaching our shores.
This decision came after 20 countries reported over 200 cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 :
Country
Omicron
Cases
Country
Omicron
Cases
South Africa
128
Austria
4
Botswana
19
Brazil
2
Portugal
13
Canada
2
The Netherlands
12
Japan
2
United Kingdom
9
Denmark
2
Australia
6
Spain
1
Hong Kong
5
Reunion Island (France)
1
Germany
5
Belgium
1
Italy
4
Czech Republic
1
Israel
4
Sweden
1
How Malaysia Intends To To Block Omicron Variant!
Temporary Travel Ban
Malaysia will no longer allow flights from or transiting through countries with Omicron variant transmission, or high risk countries, will be blocked.
These are the eight (8) countries that the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) has listed under the travel ban :
South Africa
Botswana
Eswatini
Lesotho
Mozambique
Namibia
Zimbabwe
Malawi
There is also a temporary travel ban for non-Malaysian citizens from those countries, including travellers who have been in those countries during the last 14 days prior to arrival.
Malaysian citizens and holders of long-term passes (PR status, spouse visa, MM2H and resident pass) are still ALLOWED to return to Malaysia, subject to these restrictions :
Irrespective of their vaccination status, they must undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine at a quarantine station.
They must undergo three RT-PCR COVID-19 tests :
– within 72 hours before departure,
– on arrival in Malaysia, and
– on the 10th day of the mandatory quarantine
A risk assessment will be conducted on the 14th day of quarantine, which may be extended if the traveller is symptomatic.
Malaysian citizens who are planning to visit the listed countries are NOT ALLOWED to continue with their travel plans.
Vaccinated Travel Lane
Arrangements to create a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) with countries with Omicron variant transmission, or high risk countries, have been postponed.
In addition, the Malaysia-Singapore VTL programme for both air and land travel has been amended to require travellers to undergo additional COVID-19 self-tests on the 3rd and 7th day after arrival.
They must then report their test results in MySejahtera.
Monitoring Of Countries With Omicron Variant Cases
The Ministry of Health (KKM) will monitor and provide the other government ministries with a DAILY LIST of countries with Omicron variant cases, or at high risk.
Strengthening Of International Gateways
The Immigration Department of Malaysia has immediately STOPPED the use of the Autogate system.
Flights carrying passengers from the listed countries with Omicron variant transmission, or high risk countries, are only allowed to enter Malaysia through KLIA.
Airlines are responsible for identifying passengers travelling from countries with Omicron variant transmission, or high-risk countries. This information must be submitted to the KLIA Health Office for easier handling of the arrivals.
MAHB is required to create a special “gate” and path for travellers from countries with Omicron variant transmission, or high-risk countries, to undergo a health screening before undergoing their special quarantine.
International Students + Foreign Workers
International students and foreign workers from countries with Omicron variant cases, or high-risk countries, will be temporarily BANNED from entering Malaysia.
Langkawi International Tourism Bubble
Tourists from countries with Omicron variant transmission, or high-risk countries; or those with history of travel to those countries in the past 14 days, are NOT ALLOWED to participate in the Langkawi International Tourism Bubble.
Malaysian citizens (Langkawi residents) returning from countries with Omicron variant transmission, or high-risk countries, are ALLOWED to return to Malaysia, but only through KLIA and must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a special quarantine station.
Foreign tourists who are confirmed to be positive with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will be isolated and treated in a private hospital, at their own cost.
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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.
The AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccine booster doses have been approved in Malaysia!
Here is what we know so far…
AstraZeneca + Sinovac Booster Dose Approved In Malaysia!
On 17 November 2021, the Malaysia Drug Control Authority (DCA) agreed to give conditional approval for the use of the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines as booster dose in Malaysia.
Both AstraZeneca and Sinovac booster doses were approved for all individuals 18 years and above who received the same primary series vaccine.
The DCA also announced the conditional registration of the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured by SK Bioscience Co., Ltd. in South Korea. Malaysia has now approved three AstraZeneca vaccine manufacturers :
AstraZeneca Nijmegen B.V., Netherlands
Siam Bioscience Co., Ltd., Thailand
SK Bioscience Co., Ltd., South Korea
How Will AstraZeneca + Sinovac Booster Dose Be Given In Malaysia?
The AstraZeneca and Sinovac booster dose will be given after these intervals :
AstraZeneca : 6 months after Dose 2
Sinovac : 3 to 6 months after Dose 2
While both vaccines have been approved as booster doses, it does not mean that everyone will get to receive them.
The COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force – Booster (CITF-B) will target specific groups to receive these booster doses, which will be detailed later…
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.
