Did a new Korean study show that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can cause certain autoimmune diseases?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Study show mRNA vaccines cause autoimmune diseases!
Some people are sharing a South Korean study by Seung-Won Jung et. al., suggesting that it shows that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can cause certain autoimmune diseases!
McCullough Foundation : NEW STUDY – COVID-19 mRNA injections are associated with an increased risk of developing certain autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, alopecia areata, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis
This population-based cohort study involves 9,258,803 individuals and includes up to one year of observation time.
The authors conclude, “long-term monitoring is necessary after mRNA vaccination for the development of autoimmune connective tissue diseases (AI-CTDs).”
Chief Nerd : “Our study found that booster vaccination was associated with an increased risk of developing certain autoimmune connective tissue diseases (AI-CTDs), such as alopecia areata, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis, albeit the effect size was small. This finding could be associated with autoimmune flare-ups following repeated mRNA vaccination, which can cause subclinical diseases to become active and diagnosed. The result of our study may indicate the necessity for additional monitoring when administering booster vaccinations.”
Shaun Barcavage, FNP-BC : Long-term risk of autoimmune diseases after mRNA-based SARS-CoV2 vaccination in a Korean, nationwide, population-based cohort study “However, we observed an increased risk of developing some AI-CTDs after booster vaccination.”
Truth : Study does not show mRNA vaccines cause autoimmune diseases!
This is yet another example of anti-vaccine misinformation being propagated online, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Study does not show mRNA vaccines cause autoimmune diseases
Let me start by pointing out that you can read the entire paper by Seung-Won Jung et. al., called Long-term risk of autoimmune diseases after mRNA-based SARS-CoV2 vaccination in a Korean, nationwide, population-based cohort study.
This is a large study in which the authors compared the risk of developing certain autoimmune diseases based on historical data (for 2 years prior to mRNA vaccinations), compared to two years after mRNA vaccinations.
Despite suggestions that this study showed that mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 can cause autoimmune diseases, that’s not really the case. The authors specifically pointed this out in the abstract, right on the first page:
Overall, we conclude that mRNA-based vaccinations are not associated with an increased risk of most AI-CTDs, although further research is needed regarding its potential association with certain conditions.
They did find some signals that warrant further research, but nothing that would actually prove that mRNA vaccines cause autoimmune diseases.
Fact #2 :Data shows mRNA vaccines reduced risk for many autoimmune diseases
The data shared in this study suggest that mRNA vaccines may increase the risk of developing two autoimmune diseases:
systemic lupus erythematosus, and
bullous pemphigoid
But conversely, the data also suggest that mRNA vaccines may reduce the risk of developing five autoimmune diseases:
primary cicatricial alopecia
psoriasis
Behcet disease
Crohn disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Does this mean that the mRNA vaccines can therefore “prevent” autoimmune diseases? Of course, not. Just because the data “appears” to show an increased or reduced risk in developing certain autoimmune diseases, that does not mean the mRNA vaccines are necessarily the reason.
I should also point out that COVID-19 infections may be a factor in the increased risk of developing some autoimmune diseases post-vaccination. This is important as the study authors themselves pointed out that prior studies have suggested that “COVID-19 infections increase the risk of patients developing autoimmune diseases“.
It appears that they may have attempted to “fix that” by filtering out COVID-19 infections from the vaccinated cohort. However, they could only accomplish this based on reported COVID-19 diagnoses.
Therefore, it is more than plausible that a substantial number of people in the vaccinated cohort may have undiagnosed COVID-19 infections, especially since unvaccinated people do experience mild or subclinical COVID-19 infections. Such patients are often undiagnosed, as they have mild or no symptoms, and are therefore unaware that they are infected.
In short – the increased risk in vaccination people may ultimately be due to undiagnosed COVID-19 infections. Hence, the need for “more research” and not just jumping to conclusions!
It is also important to point out that just because the data appears to show some kind of correlation between mRNA vaccines and an increased risk in developing certain autoimmune diseases, it does not mean the mRNA vaccines are necessary the cause.
For example, if you get pregnant after getting an mRNA vaccination, does it mean that the vaccine made you pregnant? Of course, not. It’s the same silly argument being made with the results of this South Korean study.
How can anyone establish any “causal relationship” between the increased risk in two autoimmune diseases and the mRNA vaccines based on these results? Similarly, no one can use these results to claim that mRNA vaccines prevent five autoimmune diseases!
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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 K-pop star Park Boram just die suddenly from COVID-19 vaccine SADS?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Park Boram Died Suddenly From Vaccine SADS!
Right after news broke that Park Boram died suddenly at just 30 years of age, some people immediately claimed or suggested the K-pop star was killed by the COVID-19 vaccine!
No Evidence Park Boram Died Suddenly From Vaccine SADS!
This appears to be yet another example of fake news created by anti-vaccine activists, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Park Boram Reportedly Suffered Cardiac Arrest
On Thursday night, 11 April 2024, Park Boram (born Park Bo-ram 박보람 on 1 March 1994) was drinking with two friends at a residence in Namyangju, Gyeonggi, when she excused herself to go to the washroom.
When Park Boram did not return for an extended period of time, her friends looked for her and found her “slouched over the sink, unconscious” at around 9:55 PM. They called for an ambulance, while one of her friends performed CPR, and attempted to revive her.
Park Boram was reportedly suffering from a cardiac arrest when the police and emergency services reached her. She was transported t to the Hanyang University Guri Hospital, while receiving CPR, but was ultimately declared dead at 11:17 PM.
Fact #2 : Cause of Death + Autopsy Report Not Revealed Yet
An autopsy was conducted on Park Boram on Saturday, 13 April 2024, to determine her cause of death, while the police is conducting its own investigation into her death.
Until and unless the police, the coroner or her family announces her cause of death, or releases her autopsy report, anyone who claims that Park Boram died suddenly from the COVID-19 vaccine is likely lying to you.
Fact #3 : Heavy Drinking Can Cause Sudden Cardiac Death
Park Boram was reportedly drinking heavily before her sudden collapse and death. This is important, as alcohol is known to have “an immediate effect on cardiac rhythm“, and previous studies have shown that “a notable proportion of sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) occur after alcohol intake“.
2022 Finnish study suggests that majority of alcohol-related SCD occur at the late stage of inebriation.
2024 Korean study suggests that moderate and heavy drinking was associated with significantly increased risk of atrial fibrillation
The autopsy will determine whether Park Boram’s alcohol consumption was a contributing factor to her death. So please wait for the autopsy report, and/or her cause of death, to be revealed.
Until and unless her family (or the authorities) reveal her COVID-19 vaccination status, anyone who tells you that Park Boram was vaccinated or otherwise, is likely lying to you. None of us know that.
Fact #5 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear With Hours / Days
Even if Park Boram was fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, she would have received her doses more than two years ago! She cannot possibly have suffered from a vaccine side effect, because they appear within hours or days, not months later.
Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination. Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days or weeks.
The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.
Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.
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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.
Foreign visitors are now required to complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC)prior to arrival in Malaysia! Here is what you need to know…
Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) Requirement
From 1 December 2023 onwards, the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM) requires foreign visitors to complete the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) prior to their arrival in Malaysia.
The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) replaces the physical white arrival card that foreign visitors usually complete before or on arrival in Malaysia.
This new rule applies to all foreign visitors, except:
people transiting / transferring through Singapore without seeking immigration clearance,
Malaysian Permanent Resident, and
Malaysian Automated Clearance System (MACS) holders
As an added benefit, foreign visitors from 10 countries can register their fingerprint at the immigration country, and will thereafter be able to use the Autogate (Egate) at Malaysian airports and other ports of entry to quickly get through immigration!
Australia
Brunei
Germany
Japan
South Korea
New Zealand
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
United States
United Kingdom
But please note that the MDAC is not a visa. Neither is it an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) that some countries use to pre-register visitors for multiple entries.
All foreign visitors (except those who were explicitly exempted above) will need to register for the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) for the first time.
Enrol for the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) at this official link.
Complete and submit the MDAC within three days (3) prior to your arrival in Malaysia.
You will be required to fill in these information:
a) Full name
b) Passport number
c) Nationality
d) Sex
e) Date of Birth
f) Date of Passport Expiry
g) Email address
h) Mobile Number
i) Date of Arrival : Must be within 3 days (including date of submission)
j) Date of Departure
k) Mode of Travel : Air / Land / Sea
l) Last Port of Embarkation
On arrival in Malaysia, you will need to enroll and verify your passport manually at the Malaysian Immigration Department counter.
After that manual enrolment, you will be allowed to use the Egate autogate system when you depart Malaysia.
On Subsequent Visits
On subsequent visits, foreign visitors will need to:
Complete and submit the MDAC within three days (3) prior to your arrival in Malaysia.
Use the Autogate system on arrival and departure
As you can see, the new Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) does more than just eliminate waste and improve efficiency through digital transformation of the physical arrival card. It also streamlines the immigration process for foreign visitors, and allows some of them to breeze through using the Egate system!
But again – please note that you can only submit the MDAC within 3 days of your trip, and this includes the date of submission.
Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) : Other Important Things
Here are other things about the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card that may be important:
You can check the status of your MDAC registration information here.
You can check the visit pass record for the latest 3 months here.
You can check your Egate eligibility status here. *
* Please note that Egate eligibility is only open to business and social travellers from these 10 countries, who have an e-Passport, and will only start after you have enrolled your fingerprints (biometric verification) at the immigration counter.
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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 RM reject an offer by HYBE to disband BTS and go solo, because the group was losing money?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : RM Rejected Offer To Disband BTS + Go Solo!
People are sharing a Music Mundial article which claims that RM (Kim Nam-joon) once rejected an offer by HYBE to disband BTS and go solo, because the group was losing money!
Here is the viral Music Mundial article. Please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
The decision that BTS’ RM made about a possible disbandment of the group
RM, the leading member of South Korean Kpop group BTS, had a tense moment when one of HYBE‘s executives made him a proposal that would suppose to the separation from the group. However, the idol acted with companionship and above all, with deep intelligence.
The impact that BTS has left on the South Korean Kpop industry is truly incalculable. However, their beginnings in 2013 were not easy at all, as HYBE, the company in charge of the septet that was previously called Big Hit, was not big enough to afford all the expenses.
Expenses such as production, wardrobe, makeup, among others, meant a great expense for the company. And for that reason, HYBE’s CEO Bang Sihyuk offered RM to make a solo career for the group to disband.
What decision did RM make regarding that proposal?
Without a second thought, the talented rapper did not accept that great proposal as he decided to continue alongside his bandmates. To everyone’s amazement, they managed to overcome that crisis, and today HYBE is one of the most millionaire companies in KPop, specifically thanks to BTS.
There is no doubt that RM’s decision to protect the future of BTS is an anecdote that he will remember all his life, because thanks to that, he is who he is today.
Truth : RM Rejected Prank Offer To Disband BTS + Go Solo!
This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS created to generate page views, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Is A Very Old Story
Music Mundial suggested that HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment) offered RM the opportunity to disband BTS and go solo in 2013. The truth is – this actually happened in 2014.
Whether it’s 2013 or 2014, it’s a very old story from 9-10 years ago! Why did Music Mundial bring this up today? After all, there was no recent news on BTS disbanding, or RM considering a solo career.
Was it a very slow day at Music Mundial, and they all had BS writer’s block? Or maybe they used generative AI to invent something viral about BTS, and this came up?
Fact #2 : HYBE Only Existed In March 2021
It is funny that Music Mundial should claim that HYBE Corporation offered RM to disband BTS, so he can go solo in 2013, when HYBE only existed some 7-8 years later!
Back in 2013, HYBE did not even exist. It was known from its founding on February 1, 2005 as Big Hit Entertainment Co., Ltd. Only in March 2021, did Big Hit Entertainment rebrand itself as the HYBE Corporation.
If RM was offered to disband BTS, it would have been made by Big Hit Entertainment, not HYBE. If Music Mundial cannot even get this basic fact right…
Fact #3 : It Was Just A Prank By Bang PD
This HYBE offer to disband BTS and have RM go solo was actually a prank that Bang Si-hyuk (also known as Bang PD) – the founder of HYBE / Big Hit Entertainment, played on RM.
During a special on Mnet’s 4 Things Show in 2014, Bang PD called RM into his office to criticise his leadership of BTS. Suga and J-Hope were in the room to help Bang PD with his prank, while the other BTS members were in another room, watching through hidden cameras.
As Bang PD criticising his leadership, RM is seen gritting his teeth in frustration. In the end, Bang PD asked him, “If you’re going to be like this, why don’t you just go solo?”
RM just kept quiet, so after some time, Bang PD asked again, “Will you be okay with going solo?” RM then replied, “Yes“.
Bang PD prodded him further, “You’re not wanting to go solo, are you?” to which RM said, “No“.
This is where the climax came – Bang PD asked, “Let me ask you again, solo or Bangtan Boys?” and RM instantly responded, “Bangtan Boys“.
That was when Bang PD asked RM to “look at me, kid“, before smiling and telling him that he was on a hidden camera show!
The suggestion that Bang PD and HYBE (Big Hit Entertainment at that time) was so disappointed in BTS in 2013 that it offered to disband the band is nonsensical.
HYBE not only invested a lot of time and money in training all seven BTS members, Bang PD himself had confidence in them. He revealed that in his May 2016 letter to BTS:
To Jin, Suga, Rap Monster, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook…
When I first met you, all of you were so young. I met you all at different times, but all of you seemed to be scared about something. Like you didn’t know how to look at me, you couldn’t look at me in the eye well at all. I feel that I really pushed you boys a lot. I had a lot of greed and put you under my standard. I gave you a hard time asking why you couldn’t believe yourself and why you weren’t trying to look far into the future. I’m sure all of you remember losing sleep over this because the place I pointed was far and dark. Even so, you always somehow found that path. You always shot up higher and further up than the place that I pointed to.
As I was walking with you, I finally realized it. Your anxiety was another face of desperation. That’s what pushed you to practice until late at night, to go against everything, going over the limits on your own. But now I step back, I can see you getting better and better. Because there’s no reason for me to raise my finger and point towards a place. With your own strengths you are finding your own paths. And you are passing the places that I didn’t dare looking towards.
But still thank you. I won’t say that I’m proud of you just yet, because I am a very greedy person. Let’s hold onto that until the day you become the best group in the world…
On June 12, a year, no, 3 years later. On that day, I’ll look each of you in the eye and tell you personally from my lips…that I’m thankful that you stayed by me and for bringing me here and allowing me to dream.
I write this on May, 2016, a month before your 3rd Anniversary.
Bang Si Hyuk
Fact #5 : This Is Just Music Mundial Fake News
As usual, Music Mundial offered ZERO evidence to back up its claim that Big Hit Entertainment / HYBE once seriously offered to disband BTS so RM can have a solo career.
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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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.
Did Park Jimin just admit that several BTS members are already married?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Park Jimin Admits Several BTS Members Are Already Married!
People are sharing a Music Mundial article which claims that Park Jimin just admitted that several of his BTS bandmates are already married!
Here is an except from that article. Please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Park Jimin admits that several BTS members are already married
Through his latest live broadcast, Jimin, member of South Korean Kpop group BTS, gave a big confession to all his fans after revealing some secrets of his fellow members that many ARMYs wouldn’t have even imagined.
Yesterday, Jimin made a live transmission through Weverse platform, where he connected with his fans to thank them for all the great support he has received after the release of his solo EP ‘FACE‘.
There, the BTS star dancer was joined by millions of fans, who did not hesitate to ask him all kinds of questions. However, the Idol realized the great interest of many female fans to know about the love life of his group mates.
Jimin did not hesitate to make a blunt and funny response to the wave of comments on the subject. “How many got married and didn’t even say it… There are a lot of J-Hope’s wives here?”
Was what Jimin jokingly replied when RM, Taehyung, Jungkook, Suga and J-Hope’s fans started calling him brother-in-law. Therefore, the artist claimed that several of his groupmates then are already married, thanks to his thousands of love suitors.
Truth : Park Jimin Did Not Admit Some BTS Members Are Married!
This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS created to generate page views, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : No BTS Members Are Known To Be Married
First, let me just point out that no BTS members are known to be married. Could any of them have gotten secretly married? Quite impossible.
When BTS (Bangtan Sonyeonda / 방탄소년단) was formed in 2010, its members were between 15 and 18 years old. Not only were they too young to get married, they lived together and practiced up to 15 hours a day to prepare for their debut.
Since their debut, they have been under intense media scrutiny. Any marriage would have been discovered, because it would have to be registered with the South Korean government and become a matter of public record, even if the ceremony was held privately.
Fact #2 : No Evidence Of Any BTS Members Being Married
While it is rumoured that RM (Kim Nam-joon) was married in June 2022, it was based on an anonymous claim:
I recently received word from a good friend and hoobae of mine, who is 7-years younger than me, that she is marrying RM. She graduated from a prestigious school and her family is also well off. I believe she met RM at a fan meeting between 2014~2015.
His agency, Big Hit Music, came out to refute it with a short and terse statement:
The rumours are not true.
Rumours have also claimed that other BTS members are married with kids, but none of those claims have ever been substantiated.
Fact #3 : RM Said He Is Scared About Getting Married
On the tvN variety show in December 2022, RM even shared that he is scared about getting married!
First of all, it’s pretty scary for me… I’m not sure about it. To promise eternity to someone, officiate it, and bring your friends together… Before, the thought of, ‘Will that ever happen in my life?’ seemed natural to me. I figured that when the time came, I would get a job, work hard [in life], and get married.
[But now], there is the fact that I chose to live an unusual life… A few years ago, I suddenly began to think for the first time, ‘Maybe I won’t be able to get [married].’ And once that thought began, it got out of hand.
Fact #4 : Music Mundial Offered No Evidence
For its part, Music Mundial offered ZERO evidence to back up its claims that any BTS members are actually married.
The only thing it offered was a Wlive video in which Jimin joked about how many BTS fans referred to themselves as their “wives”. Anyone can see that he was joking.
🐥'im jimin's wife' 🐥nice to meet you 🐥'im jungkook's wife' 🐥nice to meet you 🐥'go home (your wife) is waiting' 🐥okay i understand 🐥'im taehyung's wife' 🐥nice to meet you pic.twitter.com/bJdnsZHIpY
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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.
Did Chinese President Xi Jinping divorce his wife, Zheng Xiaoling who wanted to migrate to the US, so he can serve China instead?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Xi Jinping Divorced His Wife, Zheng Xiaoling, To Serve China!
The Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens are promoting a photo of a beautiful woman called Zheng Xiaoling (鄭曉玲), claiming that she wanted to migrate to the United States.
Instead of following her to the United States, the future Chinese President Xi Jinping chose to divorce her so he can serve China. Here is the viral message in Chinese, as well as our rough translation (thanks Yuh Hui and Chai!):
她叫鄭曉玲。當年因為一心要
出國,執意與選擇留在國內,身為鄉鎮幹部的丈夫離了婚。
現在美國的她,唉!說多了都
是淚….她的前夫叫習近平。
Her name is Zheng Xiaoling.
Years ago, due to her preference to live in the West, she divorced her husband who chose to stay back in China to serve the country.
She is currently now in US and her ex-husband is Xi Jin Ping.
Here is the English version that is also circulating.
Her name is Cheng Siow Ling.
Years ago, due to her preference to live in the West, she divorced her husband who chose to stay back in China to serve the country. His name is Xi Jin Ping.
Xi Jinping Did Not Divorce His Wife, Zheng Xiaoling, To Serve China!
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 : That Is South Korean Actress Choi Jin-sil
The photo that has gone viral in Chinese and pro-CCP groups is not a photo of a woman called Zheng Xiaoling (鄭曉玲), or as some call her, Cheng Siow Ling.
That is a photo of a famous South Korean actress called Choi Jin-sil, who sadly committed suicide on October 2, 2008.
Nicknamed “The Nation’s Actress”, Choi Jin-sil has never migrated to the United States. Instead, she became a TV actress in South Korea in 1998, and moved on to play leading roles in movies like My Love, My Bride (1990) and Jealousy (1982).
Fact #2 : Choi Jin-sil Is Much Younger Than Xi Jinping
Choi Jin-sil was born on December 24, 1968, while Xi Jinping was born on June 15, 1953 – a 15 year gap.
I mention this because Choi Jin-sil was still in primary / elementary school when Xi Jinping married his first wife in 1979!
In fact, Choi Jin-sil would have been only 11 years old when Xi Jinping married her in 1979! Can you see how ludicrous this viral claim is?
Fact #3 : Choi Jin-sil Married Cho Sung-min
Not only was it impossible for Xi Jinping to have married a preteen Choi Jin-sil, there is no evidence he ever met the Korean actress!
In the year 2000, Choi Jin-sil married Cho Sung-min – a professional baseball player with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan. She gave birth to their two children – a son, Hwan-Hee in 2001, and a daughter, Joon-Hee in 2003.
She would divorce Cho in September 2004, and she eventually won sole custody of their two children.
Fact #4 : Xi Jinping’s Ex-Wife Is Ke Lingling
Xi Jinping’s ex-wife is not Zheng Xiaoling, but Ke Lingling (柯玲玲) – the younger daughter of former diplomat Ke Hua. Born in 1951, she is also known as Ke Xiaoming (柯小明).
Their 1979 marriage ended in a divorce in 1982. Xi Jinping would later marry his second wife, Peng Liyuan – a famous singer, five years later in Xiamen, Fujian in 1987.
Fact #5 : Xi Jinping’s Ex-Wife Migrated To The UK
The claim that Xi Jinping refused to migrate to the United States with his former wife is also false.
After marrying Xi Jinping in 1979, Ke Lingling found that their life philosophies differed. She favoured Western values, and wanted to move to the United Kingdom, where her father was serving as the Chinese ambassador.
However, Xi Jinping refused to accompany his wife, as he wanted to pursue a career as a senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official.
They divorced in 1982, after just three years of marriage, and Ke Lingling finally migrated to the UK. She would later claim that the divorce was partly caused by her former husband’s ambition.
Fact #5 : 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 are the other wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far:
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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.
South Korean authorities just confirmed that Terraform CEO Do Kwon has been hiding out in Serbia!
Here is what you need to know!
Terraform CEO Do Kwon Found Hiding In Serbia!
South Korean authorities just confirmed that Do Kwon is hiding out in Serbia, and will be working with Serbian authorities to detain him.
The 31 year-old Terraform CEO was charged with fraud and breaches of the South Korean capital markets law after his company’s TerraUSD stablecoin and Luna cryptocurrency crashed in May 2022.
He fled Singapore in September to an unknown country, and has been on the run since, even though he denied trying to run away.
I am not ‘on the run’ or anything similar – for any government agency that has shown interest to communicate, we are in full cooperation and we don’t have anything to hide.
According to a 11 December report by Chosun Media, South Korean authorities received a tip-off about Do Kwon’s location in Serbia, and were able to confirm it.
Recently, we obtained intelligence that CEO Kwon was in Serbia, and it was found to be true.
South Korea and Serbia do not have an extradition treaty with each other, but both countries have agreed to requests under the European Convention on Extradition.
Terraform CEO Do Kwon : A Quick Refresher!
Do Kwon (born Kwon Do-Hyung on 6 September 1991) is the South Korean co-founder and CEO of Singapore-based Terraform Labs, which created the stable coin TerraUSD and the Luna cryptocurrency.
Both TerraUSD and Luna collapsed in May 2022, wiping out almost $45 billion of its market capitalisation in just one week, while causing hundreds of billions of dollars to be wiped out in the crypto market.
With approximately 200,000 South Korean investors affected by the crash of TerraUSD and Luna, the South Korean government announced that it would pursue criminal charges against Do Kwon. However, Do Kwon moved to Singapore in April – just before the crash.
On September 14, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant against Do Kwon for allegedly committing fraud and violating South Korea’s capital market laws.
Unfortunately, Do Kwon left Singapore around that time, flying to Dubai on the way to an unknown country.
Interpol then issued a Red Notice for Do Kwon on September 26, and the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered him to surrender his passport on 6 October 2022, to which he responded:
Oh, I’m not using it anyway, so it doesn’t, I can’t see how that makes a difference to me.
In addition to Do Kwon, South Korean authorities also issued arrest warrants for five other people, who have not been named, over links to the TerraUSD stablecoin and the Luna cryptocurrency token.
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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.
Did Korean livestreamer BJ케이 die suddenly on a live video stream?!
Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Korean Livestreamer BJ케이 Died Suddenly On Air!
People keep sharing a video of Korean livestreamer BJ케이 spinning and collapsing on live video, with many anti-vaccination activists calling it evidence of yet another vaccine sudden death.
Here is a selection of social media posts accompanying links or articles on the viral video :
No Jumper : Korean streamer suddenly dies while live streaming at a restaurant
The American Journal : Shocking: Korean Livestreamer DIES On-Air After Creepy #vaccine -Turn
#korean dies on liveStream does the #DeathSpin 😳☠️🤔 #NewNormal #Latest
Korean live streamer “dies suddenly” on camera. 💉👀 (November 2022)
Claim : Korean Livestreamer BJ케이 Did Not Die Suddenly!
It’s now a tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all celebrity 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 : Korean Livestreamer Is Called BJ케이
You may notice that all those posts conspicuously do not mention the name of the Korean influencer. That’s likely intentional, to prevent you from looking him up.
The man in the viral video is called BJ케이, also known as 박중규 / 朴重奎 / Park Jung-kyu – a 33 year-old Korean livestreamer.
The incident was captured during a livestream on afreecatv, which is short for Any FREE broadCAsting – a Korean video streaming service based on peer-to-peer technology. In addition to streaming on afreecatv, BJ케이 also has a YouTube channel.
Fact #2 : Video Does Not Show BJ케이 Dying
In the viral afreecatv video, BJ케이 is seen speaking with three other people, before he inexplicably looks backwards and does a spin before falling backwards onto the table.
His fall causes the livestream camera to fall, and point upwards at the ceiling and chandelier. The video itself does not show BJ케이 dying. You can literally hear him groaning in the background.
Claims that the Korean livestreamer BJ케이 died on that live video is false. BJ케이 is very much still alive, just like many people featured in the Died Suddenly movie.
For one thing, BJ케이 continued posting videos on his YouTube channel – on December 1 and December 3, 2022.
Fact #4 : BJ케이 Had An Epileptic Fit
On December 4, 2022, BJ케이 posted a notice on his afreecatv blog, stating that his doctor told him his collapse was likely due to epilepsy, and he would undergo EEG and MRI tests on Monday, December 5.
He also said that he had a bad flu that day, but tested twice for COVID-19, and both PCR tests were negative.
Here is his post in Korean, machine translated into English:
I didn’t post earlier, so I wrote this post because I thought my viewers will be curious.
I went to the university hospital a few days ago and was treated. The doctor said it seems to be epilepsy.
Tomorrow, on Monday, I will get hospitalized and undergo EEG and MRI tests for a day or two. Since I must be accompanied by someone, I will go with Lauren.
Yesterday both PCR tests were negative! I had a really bad flu, so if it was positive for the coronavirus, I can’t be hospitalized and my tests would be delayed.
Fortunately, it’s just the flu!!! I’ll have to go tomorrow and ask the doctor when the results will come out, but I will definitely return within the next week.
Thank you for waiting. This time, I was nominated for the talk cam room grand prize… Thank you….
I’ll come back when I’m healthy
너무 공지 사항을 올리지 않아서 시청자분들이 궁금해 하실 것 같아서 공지를 쓰게 되었습니다.
It is currently unknown if BJ케이 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 the South Korea, despite what anti-vaccination activists may claim.
Before anyone can claim that he was “injured” by the COVID-19 vaccine, they should first confirm that he was vaccinated in the first place.
Fact #5 : Claims Of Celebrities Injured By COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False
This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists abusing celebrity deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
So far, claims of celebrity deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false at every instance. Here is the latest dozen of other false celebrity claims!
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next celebrity tragedy…
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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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 US government just imposed sweeping chip and chipmaking export restrictions that target Chinese military capabilities!
US Targets Chinese Military With New Chip Export Ban!
On Friday, October 7, 2022, the US government announced new regulations on computer chips and chipmaking technologies designed to target Chinese military capabilities.
The stated goal of these new export restrictions is to “block the People’s Liberation Army and China’s domestic surveillance apparatus from gaining access to advanced computing capabilities that require the use of advanced semiconductors.”
According to US officials, these rules target not only the sale and export of chips, but also the tools and software that might help the Chinese military in any way, including aiding the development of weapons of mass destruction.
Unlike earlier rules that target specific Chinese companies (like HUAWEI), the new rules have far greater reach, covering everything from chips made by AMD and NVIDIA, to complex and expensive hardware and software used to design and manufacture semiconductor chips.
These rules, some of which go into effect immediately, build on existing restrictions that were earlier applied to top chip toolmaking companies in the US, like KLA Corporation, Lam Research Corporation, and Applied Material Incorporated.
It’s not just advanced chips used for AI computing and national security or military applications that are being targeted.
The new rules are more generic, and forbid US companies from selling technologies to indigenous Chinese companies that will enable the production of:
DRAM chips at 18 nm or below,
NAND flash chips at 128 layers or above, and
logic chips at 14 nm or below.
Even foreign companies operating China are somewhat affected. US companies will need to obtain a license to export more advanced equipment to them.
But in a concession to South Korea, the US government will spare SK Hynix and Samsung from these measures. US companies will be able to continue supplying their production facilities in China.
Many of the rules aim to block foreign companies from selling advanced chips or chipmaking technologies and tools to China. However, the US government will need to “lean” on those countries to introduce similar measures.
Most advanced chips are manufactured in South Korea and Taiwan. If they continue to export to China, they will allow China to bypass US restrictions.
On Saturday, the Chinese government criticised the new US chip export ban, calling it a violation of International economic and trade rules that will “isolate and backfire” on the US.
Out of the need to maintain its sci-tech hegemony, the U.S. abuses export control measures to maliciously block and suppress Chinese companies.
It will not only damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, but also affect American companies’ interest.
– Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Despite Mao’s assertions that US actions will not stop China’s progress, the new wide-ranging chip and chipmaking export ban will undoubtedly be detrimental to the Chinese semiconductor industry, and set back its attempts at indigenous production by many years.
On the other hand, this export ban will spur China to redouble its efforts to develop its own chipmaking capabilities, and possibly “strike back” by restricting exports of rare earths to US companies.
US Chip Export Rules Affecting Chinese Companies Summarised
Here is a summary of the new restrictions that take effect on Friday (October 7, 2022):
Tools that are capable of producing logic chips made using fin field-effect transistors (FinFET) are blocked from sale to China.
Tools capable of fabricating NAND flash storage chips with 128-layer technology or greater, and DRAM based on 18-nanometer half-pitch or less technology are blocked from sale to China.
Servicing and maintenance of restricted tools are also banned, which would prevent keeping advanced equipment in good enough shape to keep producing quality chips at high volume.
US citizens currently servicing or supporting tools on the restricted list must halt their activities by Wednesday, October 12.
Export of items that China can use to make its own chip manufacturing tools, such as a photolithography light source and other specialised components are also blocked from sale to China.
The US Commerce Department also enacted these additional measures on Friday:
31 Chinese entities were added to the Unverified List, which consists of companies that the US government believes could divert technology that they purchase to restricted entities.
The Commerce Department expanded the scope of controls for the 28 Chinese firms already on the US Entity List, including presumptively denying any licenses because of the risk they will divert technology to the Chinese military.
Then two weeks later, these restrictions will take effect on Friday, October 21, 2022:
Using a new foreign direct product rule, the U.S. will block any chips that used in advanced computing and artificial intelligence applications.
The foreign direct product rule can block chips made by non-US companies — including Chinese chip designers — if they use American technology or software.
TSMC may be forced by this new rule to halt production on advanced AI or supercomputer chips designed by Chinese firms that are fabricated in Taiwan, unless it gets an exemption.
A new foreign direct product rule will apply to components and chips destined for supercomputers in China.
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.
Acclaimed South Korean visual artist Kim Jung Gi just died of a heart attack, not vaccine-induced sudden adult death syndrome!
Claim : Kim Jung Gi Died From COVID-19 Vaccine SADS!
Right after news broke that Kim Jung Gi died suddenly in Paris, anti-vaccination activists quickly claimed that the acclaimed visual artist and Guinness World Record holder died from vaccine-induced Sudden Adult Death Syndrome!
Here is a selection of social media posts accompanying links or articles on his death:
The covid jab killed Kim Jung Gi. Should not have had to spell it out for you. Use your brain.
Ima say it now. Not disrespectful at all. But the vaccine might have killed Kim jung gi. This vaccine making people have sudden deaths for no underlying health conditions
The prospect of Kim Jung Gi’s life being cut short by pulmonary issues as a result of being injected with the covid mRNA injection should infuriate you. But it doesn’t.
Truth : Kim Jung Gi Died Of Heart Attack, Not SADS!
It’s becoming a tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all celebrity 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 the current facts that we know so far.
Fact #1 : Kim Jung Gi Died Of Heart Attack
47 year-old Kim Jung Gi was at the airport in Paris on 3 October 2022, when he complained of chest pains.
The Guinness World Record holder (for longest drawing by an individual) had just concluded an exhibition of his work, and was waiting to to board a flight to New York for Comic Con.
He was transported to a nearby hospital for surgery, but passed away. His death was announced by his collaborator Hyun Jin Kim on his official social media account:
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we inform you of the sudden passing of Kim Jung Gi. After finishing his last schedule in Europe, Jung Gi went to the airport to fly to New York, where he experienced chest pains and was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery, but sadly passed away.
October 3, 2022
After having done so much for us, you can now put down your brushes. Thank you Jung Gi.
October 5, 2022 Hyun Jin Kim
The Daniel Maghen Gallery, where Kim Jung Gi was exhibiting in Paris, also confirmed in an Instagram post that his cause of death was a heart attack.
It is with a great sadness that we inform you of the death of Kim Jung Gi on Monday evening in Paris. The South Korean artist died after a heart attack at the age of 47.
His sudden disappearance contrasts with the immense happiness he brought us. We are speechless.
Daniel Maghen, the entire gallery team, and particularly Olivier Souillé, who had accompanied him for ten years, are terribly affected by his loss.
All our thoughts are turned to his family, his wife and his two children, his friends, his collaborators Kim Hyun Jin, Boin Lee, Jean-Christophe Caurette… and his fans, for whom his disappearance will leave a great void.
Neither his family, his friends nor people working with Kim Jung Gi ever claimed that the renowned artist died from the COVID-19 vaccine, or the sudden adult death syndrome (also known as the sudden arrhythmic death syndrome).
Some Indian / Pakistani blogs like NewsWizal and PassengerNews24 claimed that Kim Jung Gi was not vaccinated against COVID-19, “according to South Korea’s intelligence service”.
Never mind the fact that South Korean intelligence services are not keeping track of their citizens’ vaccination status, or the fact that they somehow have access to foreign intelligence reports, they appear to be confusing the South Korean artist with a female South Korean actress.
It is currently unknown if Kim Jung Gi was vaccinated against COVID-19, because it is not mandatory in South Korea, despite what anti-vaccination activists may c laim.
However, Kim Jung Gi is likely fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, as he was about to fly to New York when he died.
The United States currently require non-residents to be fully-vaccinated to travel to the US. While it is possible to travel to the United States with a vaccine exemption, it is more than likely that Kim Jung Gi was fully-vaccinated.
Fact #3 : Kim Jung Gi Was Well Before Complaining Of Chest Pains
Kim Jung Gi appeared to be in good health, during his exhibition at the Daniel Maghen Gallery, and on the way to the airpot.
That tells us that he isn’t suffering from vaccine-induced myocarditis, which would have left him breathless and fatigued, with cardiac symptoms like chest pain, irregular heart beat, etc.
His complaint of sudden and severe chest pain is a classic symptom of a heart attack. If he suffered a cardiac arrest, he would have just collapsed, which was what happened to Coolio just days earlier.
He also did not suffer from pulmonary issues as claimed by some anti-vaccination activists, which would have resulted in breathing difficulties.
Fact #4 : Vaccine Side Effects Appear Within Hours / Days
Kim Jung Gi likely received his COVID-19 vaccinations months ago.
He cannot possibly have died from a vaccine side effect, because they appear within hours or days, not months later.
Mild side effects like injection site pain, fever, muscle ache, headache, lethargy develop within minutes to hours of the vaccination.
Anaphylaxis develops within minutes, while other severe adverse reactions like myocarditis and VITT develop within days.
The spike proteins produced by the COVID-19 vaccines also do not stick around for months. If these spike proteins are permanent (as antivaxxers claim), we would have lifelong immunity.
Your own immune system will identify the spike proteins as foreign, and destroy them within a matter of days, although some may last for up to a few weeks. This is part of how vaccines teach your immune system to identify the enemy and destroy it.
Fact #5 : COVID-19 Vaccines Do NOT Cause SADS
It is ludicrous to claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS), because SADS was first documented in 1977 – long before COVID-19 vaccines were invented!
Despite what anti-vaccination activists may tell you – SADS is not a new vaccine-related syndrome.
SADS is an inherited problem with your heart’s electrical system, which produces an abnormal heart rhythm that leads to a cardiac arrest. That’s why it can be prevented by implanting a cardioverter-defribillator.
SADS also occurs at a rate of 0.12 to 0.21 per 100,000 people every single year. In other words, approximately 9,000 to 16,000 people die from SADS every single year, before the COVID-19 vaccines were invented.
The UK Office for National Statistics data on Sudden Adult Deaths from 2016 to 2020 also showed NO INCREASE in SADS cases, demonstrating that COVID-19 vaccines did not increase the prevalence of SADS.
Note : There is no 2021 data until sometime in December 2022. The 2020 data was only released on 22 December 2021.
Vaccination in the United Kingdom started on 8 December 2020, with over a million doses administered by end of the month. Despite (false) claims that the vaccines cause SADS, that did not result in an increase in SADS cases.
Years
Sudden Adult Death
Syndrome Cases
2016
116
2017
63
2018
53
2019
87
2020
115
Fact #6 : Deaths / Injuries From COVID-19 Vaccines Can Be Proven
Despite anti-vaccination activists chalking up celebrity deaths to the vaccine; death or injury from rare vaccine adverse effects like anaphylaxis, myocarditis and VITT can be proven.
Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) from Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines happens within minutes. That’s why people are asked to wait for 15-30 minutes after getting the vaccine. People who get an anaphylactic shock will require an epinephrine shot to quickly relieve it.
Vaccine-induced myocarditis has distinct histopathology findings that are different from typical myocarditis, so a pathologist will be able to determine if the myocarditis was caused by the vaccines or otherwise.
Vaccine-induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT) is very specific to the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. It is also easily differentiated by its unique combination of blood clots in large veins of the brains, abdomen and lungs, together with low platelet counts leading to bleeding tendencies.
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 #8 : Claims Of Celebrities Injured By COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False
This is yet another example of anti-vaccination activists abusing celebrity deaths / injuries to create and propagate FAKE NEWS about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
So far, claims of celebrity deaths / injuries due to the COVID-19 vaccine have been proven false at every instance.
Will these anti-vaccination activists apologise for lying to you? Nope! They will just move on to the next celebrity tragedy…
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
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%)
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 builda 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).
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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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.
Did RM (Kim Nam-joon) of the Korean boy band BTS beat Henry Cavill as the World’s Most Handsome Man?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : BTS RM Beat Henry Cavill As Most Handsome Man!
The Internet just went berserk with the news that Kim Nam-joon beat Henry Cavill as the World’s Most Handsome Man in the TC Candler survey.
Many websites went viral with articles claiming that the BTS band leader (also known as RM) dethroned Henry Cavill for the title. Here is just two examples :
BTS Member Kim Namjoon is now the most handsome man in the world by defeating Henry Cavill, says a survey by TC Candler.
Henry Cavill, was considered the most handsome man in the world. However, BTS leader has taken away the title from him.
The British actor Henry Cavill is undoubtedly the most popular actor presently. He is the number 1 Superman, ran with Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, is Geralt in The Witcher, and is a contender for the next James Bond.
However, he is still one place behind in the list of the most handsome men in the world. Although he dominated the list for quite a long time, according to netizens Superman doesn’t hold a candle to BTS leader, RM!
According to a recent survey that TC Candler conducted for the most handsome man alive, Kim Namjoon also known as RM raced ahead of him to take the number one spot. Although this is the first time for the Korean pop star, Cavill has been a permanent feature on the list.
BTS RM Did Not Beat Henry Cavill As Most Handsome Man… Yet
The truth is – this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created to generate hype for the page views and ad money, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Henry Cavill Was Never Voted World’s Most Handsome Man
As handsome as Witcher star Henry Cavill is, he was never voted World’s Most Handsome Man in any TC Candler annual lists.
In fact, both Henry Cavill and RM (Kim Nam-joon) from BTS were never even in the Top 5 of any TC Candler annual list ever!
So the claim that RM from BTS beat Henry Cavill for the top spot is already wrong.
Fact #2 : Voting Only Takes Place In December
TC Candler only opens voting for the 100 Most Beautiful Faces and 100 Most Handsome Faces in December of every year.
In other words, voting has not even occurred for the 2022 edition of either list, so any claim that RM (Kim Nam-joon) from BTS or Henry Cavill winning the 2022 list is false.
Fact #3 : TC Candler Refuted The Claim
TC Candler issued a statement on August 23, 2022, refuting the claim that Kim Nam-joon beat Henry Cavill as the World’s Most Handsome Man in their survey.
Statement:
For those who haver been asking and spreading the meme… No, we have not released the 2022 Lists yet. We only ever release the Top 100 lists in late December.
As much as we like both RM (Kim Nam-joon) and Henry Cavill, neither of them has ever been crowned the winner or even been in the Top 5.
Nothing has been decided in 2022 and nothing will be until we hold a vote in December.
If you see the meme or the news story floating around social media, please ignore and don’t share.
Thank you — TC Candler
Fact #4 : This Is Just Another Example Of Celebrity Fake News
This is yet another example of fake news created by celebrity blogs to drive traffic and increase page views for ad money.
Here are examples of other celebrity fake news that we debunked earlier:
Please be wary when you read viral celebrity news like this. Be sure to check if they are real before sharing!
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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
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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.
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.
I hope you found this fact check article useful. Please help us fight fake news by sharing it out!
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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.
Samsung Display will finally shut down its LCD business in June, closing a chapter in its history!
Here is what we know so far…
Samsung Display To Finally Shut Down LCD Business!
Samsung Display originally sought to close its LCD business in 2020, even selling its LCD plant in Suzhou to CSOT, a Chinese company owned by the TCL conglomerate.
Their original 2020 plan to shut down their LCD business was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a surge in LCD prices. Samsung decided to continue their business, until end of 2022. However, LCD prices have fallen rapidly recently, with price pressure from Chinese and Taiwanese rivals.
Its parent company, Samsung Electronics, was their largest buyer; but even it has agreed to purchase displays from Chinese and Taiwanese companies like BOE Technology Group and AU Optronics Corps.
Samsung Display To Finally Shut Down LCD Business!
In light of such challenging market conditions, Samsung Display decided to close its LCD business six months earlier.
From June 2022 onwards, Samsung Display will stop producing LCD panels used for large TV screens, and focus instead on manufacturing OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) and Quantum Dot displays.
Employees from its LCD display business are expected to be transferred to its Quantum Dot display business.
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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 US conducting biological warfare experiments at their secret labs in South Korea?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : US Has Biological Warfare Labs In South Korea!
Official Chinese state media outlets like Xinhua, People’s Daily, China Daily, and their 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are claiming that the US is conducting biological warfare experiments at their secret labs in South Korea.
Note : It’s a long post, so please feel free to skip to the next section for the facts…
China Daily Fri, Apr 15, 2022
US biolabs create fear in South Korea XINHUA
SEOUL — South Koreans are gripped with fear over the prospect that US biological weapons laboratories operated by the US Forces Korea, or USFK, will transform the country into Washington’s “overseas hub” for biological warfare experiments.
The United States has flouted international conventions by steadily advancing its germ warfare program in the country. It sees South Korea as a country “friendly” enough to let the US military test lethal toxins without institutional hurdles.
Enraged at the opaqueness of the US biological labs, civic groups and residents have taken to the streets to demand that the US military takes away its hazardous weapons.
The US military has secretly run its biological weapons program in South Korea since at least 2009. It became public in 2015 when live anthrax samples were sent from a US military lab through postal service FedEx to the Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, about 70 kilometers south of the capital Seoul.
The USFK initially said it was the first time it experimented with deadly biological agents. But a joint panel investigation showed that the USFK brought in and tested dead anthrax samples 15 times at the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul between 2009 and 2014.
Article 9 of the South Korea-US Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA, stipulates that a customs examination “shall not be made” in case of “military cargo consigned to the US armed forces”, according to a document posted by the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
Lee Jang-hie, an emeritus professor at the law school of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said the delivery of anthrax samples violated the Biological Weapons Convention, signed by over 180 nations, including South Korea and the US, to ban the development, production, stockpiling, acquisition or retention of biological agents or toxins.
Any violation of the 1975 convention requires an official investigation by the United Nations Security Council at the request of the country concerned.
“Lax regulations and the (South) Korean government’s reluctance to protest against it created an easy, favorable environment (for the US military) to carry out experiments with germs here,” Lee noted.
The US biological weapons program in South Korea has evolved over the past decade under the projects of the Joint USFK Portal and Integrated Threat Recognition, or Jupitr, and the Capabilities to Enable NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) Threat Awareness, Understanding and Response, or Centaur.
“Figuratively speaking, Jupitr installed in the central headquarters serves as the brain. The Centaur, which operates in each regional military unit, constitutes the hands and feet of Jupitr to detect and send biochemical samples to it,” said Woo Hee-jong, a professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Seoul National University. Woo said the UN Security Council should launch an investigation into the biolabs.
Jeon Wi-bong, director of the Association to Push for Shutdown of US Biochemical Experiments in Busan Port Pier 8, told Xinhua News Agency that, despite the attention surrounding the 2015 live anthrax samples delivery, the USFK expanded biological labs into Busan Port’s Pier 8 in 2016.
A group of civic activists and citizens toured the country for a week through Sunday to spread awareness on the US biological weapons labs.
“A person in charge of US military biological labs said Korea is friendly to operate such labs. I got infuriated when I heard that because it belittles my country severely,” said Choi Won-seok, who joined the tour near Busan Port’s Pier 8.
Truth : US Does NOT Have Biological Warfare Labs In South Korea!
Now, I must first point out that it is impossible to prove a negative – that something that doesn’t exists, doesn’t actually exist.
But based on a complete lack of evidence, this is yet another example of Chinese propaganda warfare, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Story Has Been Repeated Since 2020
A quick check shows that the Chinese state media have been promoting the story of the US biological warfare labs in South Korea since April 2020, if not earlier.
So this story isn’t new. It was repeated in July 2020, and then in August 2021, before the current slew of coverage in March and April 2022.
Fact #2 : No Evidence Of US Biological Warfare Lab In South Korea
Despite waxing lyrical about the US military conducting biological warfare experiments in their South Korea labs, the Chinese state media offered ZERO evidence.
There is no evidence of biological warfare experiments being conducted in South Korea, and there is no evidence of US setting up laboratories for the research and development of such weapons.
Fact #3 : Anthrax Was Sent To 9 US States, Australia + Canada Too
Chinese state media claimed that US biological warfare experimentation was “exposed” when live anthrax samples were sent to the Osan Air Base in South Korea.
The truth is – the same anthrax samples were sent to 51 laboratories in nine US states, as well as Australia, Canada and South Korea.
So the claim that US sent anthrax to South Korea because they let the US military “test lethal toxins without institutional hurdles” is nonsense.
This incident was covered widely by the global press, so it is peculiar that Chinese state media would (intentionally?) misinform their readers.
Fact #4 : Anthrax Samples Were Used For Tests
These anthrax samples were mailed to those laboratories as part of ongoing efforts to develop field tests for anthrax.
These tests are usually conducted using dead samples of anthrax, because live anthrax would obviously be a biosecurity risk.
Fact #5 : Anthrax Samples Were Supposed To Be Dead
What the Chinese state media won’t tell you is that those anthrax samples were supposed to be dead.
In March 2014, the Dugway Proving Grounds – a US Department of Defense laboratory which conducts biosecurity research – irradiated a batch of anthrax samples with gamma rays to kill them.
In April 2015, they mailed the “dead” anthrax samples to 51 labs in the US, Canada, Australia and South Korea, by commercial postal services because the samples were supposed to be completely “dead”.
This incident was covered widely by the global press, so it is peculiar that Chinese state media would (intentionally?) misinform their readers.
Fact #6 : US Military Was Unaware Anthrax Samples Were Active
What the Chinese state media will also “forget” to tell you is that the US military was unaware that the anthrax samples were still active.
It was a commercial laboratory in Maryland that alerted the Pentagon on 22 May 2015, after they discovered that their sample had some active spores.
As CDC spokesperson Jason McDonald explained, the samples were quickly transferred to the CDC :
The samples are being carefully transferred to the CDC in Atlanta. They are starting to arrive, but cautioned that the samples need five more days to grow before officials can determine if they contain live anthrax.
While this was a deeply concerning accident that could have been disastrous, it was most definitely not an attempt to conduct biological warfare experiments in South Korea.
This incident was covered widely by the global press, so it is peculiar that Chinese state media would (intentionally?) misinform their readers.
Officials from the South Korea-U.S. joint working group conduct an on-site inspection of a laboratory at Osan Air Base, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, about 70 days after the Pentagon admitted that live anthrax samples were accidently delivered there. / Joint Press Corps
Fact #7 : Anthrax Sample In South Korea Was Destroyed
The anthrax sample in South Korea was quickly destroyed, even though there was no evidence it was still active – the batch was simply assumed to have not been sufficiently irradiated.
The military destroyed the anthrax on Wednesday after the sample, which was thought to be inactive, was suspected of being live. None of the personnel in contact showed signs of exposure. But they were given exams, antibiotics, and in some cases, vaccinations.
The military stresses there was no risk to the public. The exposure happened in a contained lab environment on the Osan Air Base, which is 65 miles south of Seoul. It’s one of a number of bases that houses the estimated 28,000 American military personnel based in South Korea.
Fact #8 : No One Got Sick
Four lab employees in the states of Texas, Delaware and Wisconsin, as well as 22 military and civilian personnel at the Osan Air Base, were given antibiotics as a precaution.
However, no one got sick from the potential exposure to the anthrax spore samples. I have to stress – there was no actual evidence that anyone got infected by those anthrax samples.
Fact #9 : Anthrax Is Naturally Found In Soil
Despite its fearsome reputation, anthrax is a disease caused by bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis, that is naturally found in soil, and commonly affects domestic and wild animals.
While people can get infected by breathing in its spores, it usually does not spread from human to human.
As long as the anthrax samples were not being weaponised, the US did not contravene the Biological Weapons Convention.
The use of dead anthrax samples to develop or improve or certify tests for anthrax most certainly do not contravene the Biological Weapons Convention.
Fact #10 : USFK Must Report To Korea CDC When Importing Biological Agents
The South Korea-US Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was revised in 2015 to mandate that the USFK must file a report with the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when importing any biological agents, including inactivated biological agents.
So the claim that the US military can bring in biological materials without informing the South Korean government is no longer true since 2015.
It is interesting that Chinese state media are still (intentionally?) not aware of that development…
Fact #10 : JUPITR Was Designed To Detect Biological Threats
Chinese state media claim that US biological warfare experiments are being conducted under the JUPITR program.
That’s nonsense, because JUPITR (Joint United States Forces Korea Portal and Integrated Threat Recognition) is a bio-surveillance program.
JUPITR was set up to monitor for biological threats posed by North Korea, using new bio-surveillance analysis equipment like :
BioFire Film Array, which can process Dry Filter Unit samples in 5-6 hours, instead of several days
IQuum Liat, which is a sample-to-result molecular diagnostic system
3M Focus
To be clear – JUPITR does not involve biological warfare experiments.
JUPITR Biosurveillance Station
Fact #11 : JUPITR Ended Development In 2018
Interestingly, Chinese state media (intentionally?) forgot to mention that the development of the JUPITR program ended in 2018.
While its passive early warning capability remains in place, there has been no further work done on the JUPITR program since 2018.
So I have to wonder why they are still harping on JUPITR in 2022… Do they really have nothing new to report on?
Fact #11 : CENTAUR Was Designed To Detect Biological Threats
The Chinese state media also claim that US biological warfare experiments are being conducted under the CENTAUR program, which is also nonsense.
CENTAUR, which is short for “Capabilities to Enhance NBC Threat Awareness, Understanding & Response“, is an early warning system that looks for biological threats in South Korea.
To ensure that such a system works, the USFK (US Forces Korea) uses samples of dead pathogens (like the anthrax samples mentioned earlier) to test its detection capabilities.
The USFK has publicly announced that they do not use live samples for testing, after a few dozen people protested against the CENTAUR program.
We hold the health and safety of our service members, civilian employees, family members and Korean neighbors in the highest regard. The CENTAUR system is safe. USFK does not and has never used live agents for testing.
Photo credit : Yonhap
Fact #12 : Biological Warfare Banned In 183 Countries
Biological warfare has long been banned by the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) that was signed on 10 April 1972, and came into effect on 26 March 1975.
As of January 2022 – 183 countries have become party to this treaty, which means they agreed to stop development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of biological weapons.
Fact #13 : Biological Labs Are Essential To All Countries
What the Chinese state media (intentionally?) don’t mention is that biological labs are a necessity in ALL countries.
Biological labs do not conduct biological warfare research, because that is banned in 183 countries under the BWC (see Fact #12).
Instead, they are on the forefront of a country’s biosecurity defences, and are absolutely essential in developing tests and cures (including vaccines) for new and emerging diseases, like the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.
In fact, China itself has a number of biological labs, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is located right at the epicentre of the first COVID-19 outbreak.
It would be hypocritical and (intentionally?) misleading for Chinese state media to demonise biological labs. After all, they are ESSENTIAL to every country’s national security, including China’s.
This fake news appears to be part of the disinformation campaign conducted by the Chinese state media and their 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
Please help us fight such malicious fake news – SHARE this fact check far and wide!
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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.
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.
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…
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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 provide 2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to the world, while America dropped hundreds of thousands of bombs instead?
Take a look at the new viral photo, and find out what the FACTS really are!
Did China Provide 2 Billion Vaccine Doses To The World?
Sinophiles have been sharing an infographic comparing Chinese President Xi Jinping to the last three American Presidents – Donald Trump, Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
It shows that China under Xi Jinping provided 2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to the world, while America under President Bush, Obama and Trump dropped over 240,000 bombs.
Truth : China Did Not Provide 2 Billion Vaccine Doses To The World
The truth is this is just Chinese propaganda and well, FAKE NEWS, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : China Did Not Provide 2 Billion Vaccine Doses To The World
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on 23 September 2021 that “China has provided 1.2 billion doses of finished and bulk vaccines to more than 100 countries and international organisations“.
So even if we take their word for it, China most definitely has NOT provided 2 billion doses of their COVID-19 vaccines to the world.
Data analytics company, Airfinity, puts China’s worldwide COVID-19 vaccine exports slightly lower – at just 1.1 billion doses to 123 countries, as of 8 October 2021.
No matter how you slice this salami, China has not come close to providing the world with 2 billion vaccine doses.
The misleading “infographic” tries to imply that China “donated” 2 billion doses of vaccines to the world.
Note how it uses the same word – “provided” just like the Chinese Foreign Ministry. It is a curious use of the word, since other countries would have either used “exported” or “donated”.
The use of the ambiguous word “provided” is no coincidence, as China wants the world to think of it as benevolent and generous. The truth is much less impressive.
Most Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines were SOLD for profit, not donated for the good of their fellow men.
There’s nothing wrong in selling vaccines. It is simply FALSE to imply or claim that China donated 2 billion vaccine doses.
Fact #3 : China Is A Stingy Vaccine Donor
Despite their implied benevolence, China is a notably stingy donor.
China only started donating to COVAX on 3 February 2021, pledging 10 million doses of their Sinopharm vaccine.
Not only was that a paltry 0.3% of the 3.3 BILLION doses secured by COVAX at that time, it took them almost 3 months to manufacture those 10 million doses.
China pledged to donate a total of 100 million vaccine doses, with around 37 million doses delivered by 1 October 2021.
That pales in comparison to the United States, which donated more than 190 million doses as of 13 October and has pledged to donate more than 1.1 BILLION vaccine doses – 11X more than China.
COVAX – the worldwide initiative for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines – does not rely on donated vaccines. It relies primarily on financial aid, which allows it to directly purchase vaccines to distribute.
China did not contribute a single dollar to the COVAX Facility until 6 August 2021, when they announced a single US$100 million contribution.
That may sound impressive, until you actually compare their contribution with what the rest of the world is contributing…
COVAX Donors
Contribution In USD
United States
3,500 million
Germany
1,070 million
Japan
1,000 million
United Kingdom
733 million
Sweden
538 million
European Commission
489 million
Italy
470 million
Canada
384 million
Sweden
296 million
France
242 million
South Korea
210 million
B&M Gates Foundation
206 million
Switzerland
162 million
Saudi Arabia
150 million
Norway
141 million
Spain
122 million
Netherlands
108 million
Australia
100 million
China
100 million
China could only match Australia, donating LESS THAN HALF what South Korea donated and just 10% of what Japan donated donated to COVAX, despite being the world’s second largest economy.
Even more embarrassingly, China donated LESS THAN HALF what the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – a private organisation – donated to COVAX.
But not to worry – Russia didn’t contribute a single cent to COVAX. So Chinese propagandists would do better to compare China’s contributions against their northern brethren, instead of their western rivals.
Fact #5 : CCP Government Is No Angel
China under the CCP government may not have dropped bombs on other countries like the United States, but it is no angel.
While the United States dropped bombs on terrorists and sometimes innocents caught in “The War On Terror”, the CCP government conducted its own “War on Terror” in its Xinjiang Province by rounding up between 1-3 million Uyghur Muslims and putting them into internment camps, which they call “vocational education and training centres”.
Now, there is no equivalence between dropping bombs on people, and imprisoning them to use as slave labour. But it would be foolish for anyone to believe that China is an angel.
The CCP government has aggressively threatened Taiwan, continuously sending flights of military planes into their ADIZ (Air Defence Identification Zone).
The CCP government also took over islands and features in the Paracel and Spratly Islands that belonged to other countries, and built military installations on them, including airfields, radar and radio stations as well as missile defences, and actively use them to threatened passing ships.
The CCP government even sent its troops to engage the Indian army in aggressive melee and face-off skirmishes on their border, resulting in deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and approximately 43 Chinese soldiers in 2020.
China’s conduct within their own country and internationally, has shown that the Middle Kingdom has no qualms ignoring international laws and destroying people’s lives, to get what they want.
That makes China no different from other superpowers abusing their economic and military strength to bully smaller and less powerful nations.
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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 you should only use genuine Dr Clo disinfectant sticks, and how to identify the real deal!
And don’t forget to WARN your family and friends about counterfeit disinfectant sticks!
Why You Should Only Buy Genuine Dr Clo Disinfectant Sticks!
There are many chlorine dioxide products in the market, but Dr Clo disinfectant sticks have superseded them to become the market leader.
Unfortunately, that has led to a proliferation of counterfeit disinfectant sticks that could put your life at risk, so Dr Clo Malaysia reached out to us for help to warn you all.
Here are some reasons why you should only buy genuine Dr Clo disinfectant sticks :
Reason #1 : Guaranteed Safe ClO2 Concentration
Dr Clo disinfectant sticks have been designed to emit chlorine dioxide at just 0.01-0.02 ppm, which is 10X below the ClO2 exposure limits set by NIOSH and OSHA in the United States.
They are able to do this by emitting chlorine dioxide through their special porous body, instead of a single hole like counterfeit products.
Dr Clo even shared with us a document on their internal measurement of chlorine dioxide, showing ClO2 readings of 0.01 ppm and 0.02 ppm.
Counterfeit disinfectant sticks cannot deliver this safe rate of chlorine dioxide emission, because they have a regular plastic body with a large hole to emit the chlorine dioxide.
Not only do they not provide even emission of ClO2, they have to emit much larger concentration from their single exit hole to achieve the same coverage.
Reason #2 : Long Lifespan
Dr Clo disinfectant sticks are filled with enough chlorine dioxide to deliver up to 50 days of non-stop coverage (without exposure to direct sunlight or high temperature).
Even in direct sunlight or in high temperature conditions, they will last at least 30-40 days.
In a perfect environment – like a fridge where it is enclosed and cool with no exposure to sunlight – they can even last up to 3 months!
Counterfeit disinfectant sticks certainly do not last as long. In fact, there’s no way to know how long they actually last!
Reason #3 : Built-In Indicator
Dr Clo disinfectant sticks have a built-in indicator that tells you when they empty.
Once activated, the indicator will gradually turn yellowish to show that it’s actively emitting ClO2. Once it becomes transparent again, this indicates that it is starting to run low.
You can replace it immediately, but the stick will still emit ClO2 for another 7-10 days, giving you time to purchase replacements.
Counterfeit disinfectant sticks lack this indicator, so it is virtually impossible to know when they run out!
Reason #4 : Korean Quality
Dr Clo disinfectant sticks are all manufactured in South Korea, and subject to stringent quality controls by the NON Corporation.
Counterfeit disinfectant sticks may look like the real deal, but do you really know what they contain?
Reason #5 : Product Liability Insurance
Dr Clo disinfectant sticks are all covered by a Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance product liability insurance (82013139323) worth KRW 500,000,000 – about US$432 thousand or RM 1.8 million!
Counterfeits and copies are, of course, not covered by such liability insurance – yet another reason to stay far away from them!
Now that you know WHY you must only buy genuine Dr Clo disinfectant sticks, find out HOW to identify the real deal!
How To Identify Genuine Dr Clo Disinfectant Sticks!
If you purchase Dr Clo disinfectant sticks online, make sure you check the box. Every genuine Dr Clo disinfectant stick sold online will have a unique QR code sticker.
If you don’t see this QR code sticker, then this is a counterfeit disinfectant stick.
But please note that Dr Clo disinfectant sticks sold at big chain retailers and pharmacies like Watson’s may lack these QR codes, but are all genuine.
Make sure you check the QR code using any QR code scanner. If it is a genuine Dr Clo disinfectant stick, you will be directed to a page that confirms it’s a genuine product :
Dr Clo disinfectant sticks are also ALL made in Korea by NON, and will usually have its US FDA registration and international patent number printed on the box.
If you come across a disinfectant stick that’s made by a different manufacturer, or a different country – that’s a sure sign that it’s a counterfeit or a copy.
Finally, only genuine Dr Clo disinfectant sticks will come with a built-in indicator. This is not only important to let you know when it runs out, it is a sure sign you have a genuine disinfectant stick.
Counterfeit or copies of the Dr Clo disinfectant sticks do NOT have this indicator. Make sure you steer clear of them!
Now that you know HOW to identify genuine Dr Clo disinfectant sticks, find out WHERE to buy the real deal!
Where To Buy Genuine Dr Clo Disinfectant Sticks!
Here in Malaysia, you can buy genuine Dr Clo disinfectant sticks from these authorised retailers :
Malaysia just received the first batch of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine!
Find out this means for the COVID-19 vaccination program in Malaysia!
Malaysia Gets First Batch Of AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine!
On 25 April 2021, the Malaysia Health Minister announced that the first batch of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 8:20 PM on Friday, 23 April 2021.
The 268,800 doses was purchased through the COVAX vaccine sharing scheme, and are enough to vaccinate 134,400 people.
These AstraZeneca vaccine doses were manufactured in South Korea by SK Bioscience, and approved for use in Malaysia on 2 April 2021.
This is a small fraction of the 6.4 million vaccine doses that Malaysia agreed to purchase from AstraZeneca in December 2020.
AstraZeneca Vaccine : A Quick Primer!
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, codenamed AZD1222, is a viral vector vaccine.
It uses a chimpanzee adenovirus – ChAdOx1 – which has been modified to prevent replication, to introduce a DNA sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
Once injected, the vaccine enters the cell and “teaches” it to produce the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins and express them on its surface.
These spike proteins triggers the immune response to create antibodies that will protect you against the real SARS-CoV-2 virus.
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Malaysia has conditionally approved the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by SK Bioscience!
Find out this means for the COVID-19 vaccination program in Malaysia!
Malaysia Approves AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine By SK Bioscience!
On 2 April 2021, the Malaysia Ministry of Health announced that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by SK Bioscience received conditional approval.
AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Solution for Injection
Registrant : None (under COVAX Facility)
Manufacturer : SK Bioscience Co. Ltd., South Korea
AstraZeneca Vaccine : Why Second Approval In Malaysia?
Unlike the earlier conditional approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in the Netherlands, these AstraZeneca vaccines are manufactured by SK Bioscience in South Korea and provided through the COVAX Facility.
Therefore, there is no Product Registration Holder (PRH) for these vaccines in Malaysia. The Malaysia Ministry of Health will instead appoint a licensed importer to manage the logistics.
The WHO had earlier issued an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for this AstraZeneca-SK Biosience vaccine on 15 February 2021.
COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access) is a global initiative to provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
The COVAX Facility is the platform by which this initiative purchases approved COVID-19 vaccines and distributes them to the developing world.
AstraZeneca Vaccine : A Quick Primer!
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, codenamed AZD1222, is a viral vector vaccine.
It uses a chimpanzee adenovirus – ChAdOx1 – which has been modified to prevent replication, to introduce a DNA sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
Once injected, the vaccine enters the cell and “teaches” it to produce the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins and express them on its surface.
These spike proteins triggers the immune response to create antibodies that will protect you against the real SARS-CoV-2 virus.
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
If you have already purchased the AirAsia Unlimited Pass, here is a step-by-step guide on how to plan your travel and book your tickets using the AirAsia Unlimited Pass!
AirAsia Unlimited Pass Guide : Planning Your Travel!
As we pointed out earlier, the AirAsia Unlimited Pass is not for everyone. But if you are able to benefit from it, here is our guide on how to plan your travel and book your tickets.
Step 1 : Log into your BIG Member account.
Step 2 : Make sure your BIG Member profile name is exactly the same as the name in your passport.
You only have one (1) chance to change your name and you cannot change it once your first flight redemption is confirmed, so make sure you do it before redeeming your first flight!
Step 4 : Go to Deals and look at the My Purchases tab for your AirAsia Unlimited Pass.
If you cannot locate your Unlimited Pass after purchasing, check back after a few hours. If the problem persists, email AirAsia at support_deals@airasia.com.
Step 5 : Generate your Unique Code.
Step 6 : Click Apply Now, and the page will refresh to show a flight search page.
Step 7 : Select your destination and travel date.
The AirAsia Unlimited Pass allows you to redeem these flights :
From Kuala Lumpur (return) : Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth, Sydney, Changsha, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Xi’an, Amritsar, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Sapporo (Chin Chitose), Osaka, Fukuoka, Tokyo (Haneda), Tokyo (Narita), Jeju, Seoul, Busan, Taipei
From Bangkok (return) : Brisbane, Shanghai, Sapporo (Chin Chitose), Osaka, Tokyo (Narita), Nogoya, Fukuoka, Seoul
Flights with seats listed as 100% OFF are available to be booked by AirAsia Unlimited Pass holders.
If your selected flight has no 100% OFF sign, that means the AirAsia Unlimited Pass is NOT available for the selected date, or the selected date falls on the Embargo Period.
AirAsia defines the Embargo Period as a travel blackout period, during which you cannot use the Unlimited Pass. It includes these upcoming holidays in Malaysia :
Step 8 : Insert your Unique Code into the “Promo Code” field.
You will see the airport taxes and fees payable for that sector, with the total payable taxes and fees at the black box at the bottom for the return trip.
Here is a list of mandatory government taxes and fees for a 2-way return trip for available destinations :
Step 9 : Add your baggage, meals and seat allocations!
Step 10 : Complete your booking by paying the necessary taxes, fees and add-on fees.
AirAsia Unlimited Pass Guide : Warning!
AirAsia would like us to remind everyone that your Unlimited Pass cannot be returned, refunded or transferred.
They will also void your Unlimited Pass if you are no-show for 3 consecutive times for your confirmed flights.
So make sure you REALLY want to fly to those destinations on those dates before booking!
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The AirAsia Unlimited Pass promises UNLIMITED AIR TRAVEL to five countries, for a whole year!
But frankly speaking – the AirAsia Unlimited Pass is A WASTE OF MONEY, unless you fit a certain set of criteria.
Find out if you fit that small set of criteria, because if you don’t – do NOT sign up for the AirAsia Unlimited Pass!
AirAsia Unlimited Pass : What Is It?
Stung by the Airbus bribery scandal and the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, the AirAsia Unlimited Pass promotion is their effort to stem the bleed.
From 29 February to 7 March 2020, AirAsia BIG Members can purchase the Unlimited Pass which would give them the right to purchase tickets to seven sectors, as many times as they wish – for a year :
Australia
Japan
Korea
China
Taiwan (only Taipei) *thanks for the heads-up, Goldfries!
That sounds like an AWESOME deal, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want unlimited air flights to all five countries for a whole year?
However, AirAsia threw in so many caveats, the Unlimited Pass is almost useless… unless you are willing to put up with the hassle.
AirAsia Unlimited Pass : TLDR Advice
For those who don’t have the time to read, here is our quick summary of what you need to know :
COVID-19 will prevent / discourage you from using the Unlimited Pass for many months.
You are limited to flights over 4 hours, and only with the D7 or XJ carrier codes.
You are NOT guaranteed tickets, because there are limited promo seats on each flight.
The Unlimited Pass also may not apply during peak periods like weekends, public holidays and school holidays.
Families should NOT bother with the Unlimited Pass. Holidays should be fun, not torture.
You must be willing to book your ticket, and be seated, separately from anyone you are travelling with.
It is best purchased and used by retirees, or singles / couples who have flexible working arrangements and can travel on working days.
AirAsia Unlimited Pass : Why It’s A Waste Of Money
Reason #1 : Remember COVID-19?
Four of those five countries are in the throes of fighting COVID-19, and it is unlikely that India won’t be affected soon. And the COVID-19 coronavirus is spreading, not receding.
So how likely do you think you will be travelling to those countries over the next 12 months, even if there is no travel ban?
IMHO, many people will not be travelling (voluntarily) to China, Korea, Japan and Australia in the next 6 months… at the very least.
Reason #2 : You’re NOT Guaranteed A Flight
With tourism falling off the cliff over the next few months, not only will people cancel their flights, so will airlines.
Even if you are fearless, it doesn’t mean AirAsia will be fearless as well, or stupid enough to fly an almost empty plane just because you insist on flying.
As stated in their rules (see below), buying the Unlimited Pass does NOT guarantee you to a flight. It is up to them to decide whether you qualify for a flight to your destination.
Reason #3 : Severe Limitations On Tickets
It’s stated in their Q&A (conveniently located in a separate page) that :
tickets are limited, and not available for all flights or destinations, or time periods, especially public holidays, school breaks and weekends.
only long haul flights of over 4 hours with the carrier code D7 or XJ are allowed.
you can only buy it for direct flights, no connecting flights allowed.
every passenger must book the flight individually – you cannot book as a group, even if everyone has the Unlimited Pass.
you must be 12 years or older, and have your own BIG Member account.
These limitations are designed to reduce your ability to fly as often as you would like using the AirAsia Unlimited Pass. Families, for example, must be willing to be seated separately.
Unless you are single or a couple, and able to travel during work days, you may not even have the opportunity to use the AirAsia Unlimited Pass at all!
Flying as a group will be problematic, because there are limited seats available for the Unlimited Pass.
What will likely happen is that a few members of your group will be able to use their Unlimited Pass, while the others will have to pay full price for their tickets.
The way out would be to split the group up, and fly on separate flights. But obviously, this makes travel much more of a hassle.
And remember – even if you get to fly out with the Unlimited Pass, you may not get to do so on the way back. You may have to pay full price, unless you are able and willing to adjust your return date according to what’s available for the Unlimited Pass.
Reason #5 : Fuel, Baggage + Other Fees
Even if you manage to several flights using the Unlimited Pass, they aren’t free. You will still need to cough up extra money for ancillary fees.
Budget airlines like AirAsia make a large percentage of their profits not from flight tickets, but from ancillary revenue – administrative fees, baggage fees, assigned seat fees, flight insurance, cancellations, documentation, meals, merchandise, fuel surcharges, etc.
In Q3 2019, almost a quarter of AirAsia’s revenue came from such ancillary sources – a whopping RM 686 million. And unlike revenue from flight tickets – they have relatively low costs – and so they contribute substantially to the airline’s PROFITS.
Frequent AirAsia travellers will also tell you that these ancillary fees often cost as much as, or even more, than the flight tickets!
AirAsia Unlimited Pass : Who Should Buy It?
Based on the severe restrictions AirAsia places on the Unlimited Pass, the best people to buy it should meet these requirements :
retired, single or a couple
able to travel on normal working days
would like to travel to those 5 countries
willing to put up with booking / travel hassles
Everyone else should not bother. Really. Travel should be fun, not a torture.
And we should point out that the target group above can often get free or heavily discounted flights on AirAsia without the Unlimited Pass. Thanks for the screenshots, Nigel!
So all the Unlimited Pass does is “force” you to travel more on AirAsia – they won’t make money from your flights, but they will make their money from your ancillary fees.
AirAsia Unlimited Pass : The Caveats
AirAsia conveniently lists the caveats of the Unlimited Pass in two sections in a separate Q&A page, which we have combined and summarised here (with our emphasis) :
It is only applicable on direct long haul flights of over 4 hours with carrier code D7 & XJ.
It excludes flights to Bali, Singapore, Jeddah and all Fly-thru routes. Embargo period applies.
Flight redemption is limited and may not be available for all flights, all destinations including public holidays, school breaks and weekends.
Promotions which are applicable for bookings made via airasia.com and AirAsia Mobile App are limited to regular base fare only and shall not include Premium Flex or Value Pack bundled category.
All applicable taxes, fees or charges imposed by the regulatory bodies must be paidat the time of purchase unless otherwise stated.
It is available for BIG Members within Malaysia who are at least 12 years of age on the date of departure and the passenger must be the BIG Member who made the booking. Each AirAsia Unlimited Pass is assigned to one (1) passenger only with one (1) BIG Member account.
You can only book for yourself, and cannot select multiple passengers using the AirAsia Unlimited Pass.
In the event any travel agency or party other than an individual BIG Member purchased the AirAsia Unlimited Pass and subsequently made flight bookings using the AirAsia Unlimited Pass, AirAsia shall have the right to cancel/forfeit such AirAsia Unlimited Pass and the flight bookings, without any liability on the part of AirAsia to such agency, third party or any passenger.
AirAsia reserves the right to cancel or forfeit your Unlimited Pass, if you miss more than three (3) flights.
The AirAsia Unlimited Pass cannot be sold, bartered, assigned or transferred to another person. Any attempt to transfer the AirAsia Unlimited Pass or book travel using the AirAsia Unlimited Pass for someone other than the holder of the AirAsia Unlimited Pass will result in immediate forfeiture of the AirAsia Unlimited Pass.
Upon purchasing the AirAsia Unlimited Pass, the passenger shall have the right to book and fly on AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X flights to Australia, India, China, Korea and Japan for an unlimited number of times, subject to full and final payment of any applicable airport charges, taxes and regulatory fees, or other charges.
Use of the AirAsia Unlimited Pass will not earn any BIG Points, and flights flown using the AirAsia Unlimited Pass will not count towards any offers or bonuses. Redemption of BIG Points is also not allowed for the purchase of the AirAsia Unlimited Pass.
When purchasing the AirAsia Unlimited Pass, passengers must ensure their details in the BIG Member account (i.e. name and date of birth) are as per passport or identity card. These details will be used for booking during the redemption process.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The Samsung A Series: #AwesomeNyer Challenge (“Campaign”) will commence from 11 February 2020, 6pm to 12 March 2020, 11.59pm (“Campaign Period”).
Samsung Malaysia Electronics (SME) Sdn Bhd (interchangeably referred to as “Samsung” or “Organiser”) shall reserve the right to shorten or extend or cancel the Campaign Period at its sole discretion without any prior notice.
Samsung’s server is the official time- keeping device for this Campaign.
Eligibility
This Campaign is open to all Malaysians :
aged 18 years and above as stated on their NRIC/Passport (as of 10 February 2020); or
children aged 13 years and above but have not attained 18 years of age as stated on their NRIC/Passport (as of 11 February 2020)
By participating in this Campaign, each participant (interchangeably referred to as “Participant”, “You” or “Your”) agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
For Participants aged 13 years and above but have not yet attained 18 years of age, such Participant’s parent/guardian warrants and agrees that the Participant including his/her parent/guardian shall irrevocably be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
All rules and regulations and instructions issued by Samsung from time to time will be deemed incorporated in these Terms and Conditions. Samsung reserves the right to amend the Terms and Conditions at any time, without prior notice.
Employees or agents of the Organiser or any of its group companies or their families or households or anyone connected to this Campaign are not eligible to enter.
Samsung Galaxy A51 Price + Availability
The Samsung Galaxy A51 is available in three colour options – Prism Crush Black, Prism Crush White and Prism Crush Blue, with a fourth colour option of Prism Crush Pink in some countries.
It has a recommended retail price of RM 1,299 / ~S$436 / ~US$314 / ~£242 / ~A$467. Here are online purchase options :
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
In view of the coming Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, Samsung prepared a short feature film entitled Julian and His Magical Skates, as a special tribute to Malaysia’s first national figure skater – Julian Yee. Amazingly, the entire video was recorded and illustrated on the Samsung Galaxy Note8, with its S Pen!
Samsung Presents Julian And His Magical Skates!
To Samsung, the phrase Do What You Can’t carries a very profound meaning – to never be complacent, to keep defying barriers, and ultimately achieving the impossible.
“Julian and His Magical Skates” is the telling of Julian’s journey to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, and a reiteration of Samsung’s “Do What You Can’t” message to inspire others to break barriers to fuel meaningful progress and realise their dreams.
Samsung jumped at the chance to support Julian Yee, because he is a prime example of what it means to Do What You Can’t. Against all odds, Julian is today an Olympic contender in a sport that isn’t even common in Malaysia.
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The Production Of The Video
The video was fully recorded and illustrated with the Samsung Galaxy Note8 and its S Pen.
Mr Chan Woei Hern, Executive Creative Director of Ensemble Worldwide Malaysia, who was commissioned to produce this brand film, shared that,
“The best technologies are often the simplest ones. Like a pair of skates or the S Pen. Two seemingly ordinary tools, but in the right hands or in Julian’s case, feet, it can capture people’s attention and imagination.
As we heard Julian’s story, we wanted to get into the mood of Do What You Can’t as well. And that meant scripting, sketching and creating the story entirely from scratch with a Galaxy Note8 and S Pen.
That’s the magic of technology at work. We’ll be releasing a behind-the-scenes video soon, shot entirely on a Galaxy Note8 as well, so everyone can experience the journey as we brought the video to life.”
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Following a detailed malware analysis, Kaspersky Lab researchers have connected two South Korean cyberattacks affecting their defence agency as well as 60 ATMs and over 2,000 credit cards.
The malicious code and techniques used in both cyberattacks share similarities with earlier cyberattacks widely attributed to the infamous Lazarus group.
At the Kaspersky Lab Palaeontology of Cybersecurity conference, Seongsu Park, Senior Security Researcher, Global Research & Analysis Team, APAC, detailed how Kaspersky GReAT researchers traced the disparate South Korean cyberattacks and found the similarities that connected them.
In August 2016, a cyberattack on South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense infected around 3,000 hosts. The Defense Agency reported the incident publically in December 2016, admitting that some confidential information could have been exposed.
Six months later, at least 60 South Korean ATMs, managed by a single local vendor, were compromised with malware. The incident was reported by the Financial Security Institute and, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), resulted in the theft of the details of 2,500 financial cards and the illegal withdrawal in Taiwan of approximately US$ 2,500 from these accounts.
Kaspersky Lab researched the malware used in the ATM incident and discovered that the machines were attacked with the same malicious code used to hit the Korean Ministry of National Defense in August 2016. Exploring the connection between these attacks and earlier hacks, Kaspersky Lab has found similarities with the DarkSeoul malicious operations, and others, which are attributed to the Lazarus hacking group.
The commonalities include, among other things, the use of the same decryption routines and obfuscation techniques, overlap in command and control infrastructure, and similarities in code.
What Is The Lazarus Group?
Lazarus is an active cybercriminal group believed to be behind a number of massive and devastating cyberattacks worldwide including the Sony Pictures hack in 2014 and the $81 million Bangladesh Bank heist last year.
Preventive Measures
In order to reduce risk, Kaspersky Lab recommends implementing the following security measures:
Introduce an enterprise-wide fraud prevention strategy with special sections on ATM and internet banking security. Logical security, physical security of ATMs and fraud prevention measures should be addressed altogether as attacks are becoming more complex.[adrotate group=”2″]
Ensure you have a comprehensive, multi-layered security solution in place. For financial organizations, we recommend using specialized solutions with Default Deny and File Integrity Monitor capabilities such as Kaspersky Embedded Systems Security. These solutions can detect any suspicious activity within the payment devices infrastructure. We also recommend implementing network segmentation for ATM or POS devices.
Conduct annual security audits and penetration tests. It is better to let professionals find vulnerabilities than to wait for them to be found by cybercriminals.
Consider investing in threat intelligence so that you can understand the rapidly evolving and emerging threat landscape and can help your organization and customers to prepare. Find out more at intelreports@kaspersky.com.
Train your employees so they can better spot suspicious emails that could be the first stage of an attack.
If you like our work, you can help support our work by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
South Korean Cyberattacks Presentation Slides
Here is the complete set of slides from Seongsu Park’s presentation on the South Korean cyberattacks.
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.
Seoul, South Korea – 62 youths from 14 Asia Pacific (APAC) economies are being groomed as future leaders as they attend the inaugural Asia Pacific Internet Governance Academy. Held at Yonsei University in Seoul, the five-day workshop on Internet governance and Internet-related topics was officially launched by the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) today.
The Academy aims to improve participants’ understanding of how the Internet works, the “bottom-up consensus building” model of Internet governance, which has helped shape the Internet as we know it today, and how they can take part in shaping the evolution of the Internet for the next generation.
“The Internet is not controlled by any single person, organization, or government. For the Internet to develop and cater to the needs of our region – of which half of the world’s Internet users reside – we need to get involved in the various platforms that discuss, develop and evolve the Internet,” said Jia-Rong Low, Vice President and Managing Director of ICANN’s Asia Pacific Hub.
“I would like to thank KISA and Korea for their partnership and leadership during the development and launch of this program. The next billion Internet users will likely come from our region, and today’s students are the leaders of tomorrow. We hope that after this academy, they can participate in ICANN, and other relevant platforms, to shape the future of the Internet,” Low added.
APAC Internet Governance Academy
The Academy will introduce participants to various Internet governance platforms, such as the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF), as well as organizations involved in Internet governance work. Speakers from these organizations, such as the Korea Internet Governance Alliance (KIGA), Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC) and Internet Society (ISOC), will share their experiences and work.
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Yoonhong Cho, Vice President of KISA added, “I am very delighted to see the KISA-ICANN joint project on capacity building for the Asia Pacific region bear such fruitful results, in the form of APIGA. In partnering with ICANN and with the strong support and significant contribution from our 11 sponsor organizations, I believe that the inaugural Asia Pacific event will be fully utilized as an incubating platform for the next generation of global leaders for the future Internet.”
ICANN and KISA received more than 120 applications from all over the APAC region. Successful applicants are required to attend 25 hours of online learning prior to the five-day workshop in Seoul. After the Academy, they will be invited to participate in regional and global Internet governance events, such as the 57th ICANN public meeting, which is being held in Hyderabad, India, from 3-9 November 2016.
The academy is also an extension of ICANN’s youth engagement program, which aims to reach out to the next generation and groom future leaders. Another program is NextGen@ICANN, which is held on the sidelines of ICANN Public Meetings.
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