Tag Archives: Turkey

Did Scientists Confirm COVID Vaccines Cause Autism In Rats?!

Did scientists confirm that COVID-19 vaccines caused autism in lab rats?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Scientists Confirm COVID Vaccines Cause Autism In Rats!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claimed that scientists confirmed that COVID-19 vaccines caused autism in lab rats!

Here is an excerpt of the long and (intentionally?) confusing article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Scientists Confirm COVID Vaccines Cause Autism in Lab Rats

An official new study published in Neurochemical Research has found that lab rats who were given the Pfizer COVID vaccine developed ‘autism-like’ traits.

According to the study, pregnant rats given the mRNA jab led to the male pups born after vaccination displaying signs of full-blown autism.

The scientists set out to evaluate the effects of COVID vaccination on rats during pregnancy to see the effect on the offspring. What they discovered was alarming:

Compared to the control group of rats injected with harmless saline solution, pups born to COVID-vaccinated mothers displayed a decrease in neuronal counts, a marked reduction in social interaction, and abnormal, repetitive patterns of behavior. Study authors rightfully call that autism-like behaviors.

Researchers used well-accepted tests of rat development to evaluate their sociability and novelty tolerance.

It turns out that male pups affected by the Covid vaccine during gestation were abnormally afraid to socialize and actively avoided novel situations. The authors point out that such maladjustments are “autism-like.”

Sadly, COVID-vaccinated male pups had significantly reduced neuronal counts. As a result of cognitive deficiencies due to a lack of neurons, vaccinated male pups failed to learn as well as their unvaccinated control counterparts, suggesting a learning disability.

We were repeatedly told that “vaccines do not cause autism.” The context of such discussions usually is whether vaccinations after birth can make children autistic. I do not have an opinion on this. I am not required to have an opinion on everything and find such discussions lacking substance and definitions.

It is possible that the term “autism,” usually referring to a lifelong developmental pattern beginning with birth, is the wrong one to apply to sudden problems arising shortly after childhood vaccinations.

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Truth : Scientists Did Not Confirm COVID Vaccines Cause Autism In Rats!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : It Was A Study On Lab Rats

The People’s Voice suggested that the study “raises an alarm” about the possibility of COVID-19 vaccines causing autism in human pregnancies. That’s nonsense.

The paper from Turkey by Mumim Alper Erdogan et. al., which is called Prenatal Exposure to COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 Induces Autism-Like Behaviors in Male Neonatal Rats: Insights into WNT and BDNF Signaling Perturbations, is available for public access (archive).

As the title points out – the Turkish study was conducted on rats, specifically Wistar rats. Therefore, the results obviously do not translate to actual human beings.

While rats are mammals too, they are not miniature human beings, and respond differently to chemicals, drugs, and yes, vaccines too. Therefore, the results of any animal study should not be used to draw any conclusions about human beings.

… it’s vital to note these insights come primarily from animal studies, limiting their direct applicability to humans. Further human clinical research is required to confirm these findings.

It’s imperative to recognize the limitations of our research, given that it relies on animal models. Caution should be exercised in generalizing these results to humans.

If the study authors themselves pointed out that the results should not be generalised to humans, why would The People’s Voice suggest otherwise???

Fact #2 : Authors Warned Against Drawing Conclusions

I should also point out that the authors of this study themselves warned against drawing any conclusions about whether the Pfizer vaccine causes autism in human beings. So why should The People’s Voice suggest otherwise???

It’s imperative to recognize the limitations of our research, given that it relies on animal models. Caution should be exercised in generalizing these results to humans. Further rigorous clinical studies are required to confirm these observations in human populations and to ascertain the exact mechanisms at play.

Fact #3 : Pfizer Vaccine Dose Was Extremely High

To conduct their experiments, the Turkish researchers impregnated 15 female Wistar rats, splitting them into two groups – 7 receiving a saline solution (control group), and 8 receiving the Pfizer mRNA vaccine. However, it does not appear that the rats were given the appropriate dosage of the Pfizer vaccine.

Human adults receive 30 μg of the Pfizer vaccine in each dose. Given that the average female adult weight is 77.5 kg / 170.8 pounds (per CDC), and the average Wistar rat in that experiment weighed about 220 grams, each female rat should have received only 0.085 μg – 1/352th of the human dose.

Instead, each female Wistar rat was injected with 30 μg of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine – equivalent to 10,560 μg in human dosage, or 352 vaccine doses in one shot. This was the same problem we saw with an earlier Belgian study on the Pfizer vaccine causing turbo cancer.

This decision to use such a high dose of the Pfizer vaccine (in relative terms) makes the experiment a poor reflection of actual vaccine safety in human beings. Anything taken at such high doses would likely be toxic. Even water, when taken in large amounts, is toxic to humans.

Fact #4 : Study Did Not Test COVID-19 Infection

The study suggested in its introduction that the spike protein – whether produced by “natural viral infection” or “post vaccination” may potentially cause “neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism”.

There are theoretical postulates suggesting that the biosynthesis of the spike protein, either through natural viral infection or post-vaccination, could induce neuroinflammation and elicit alterations in synaptic plasticity [5, 6]. These proposed changes might exert effects on brain development and have potential contributions to neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism [7].

Unfortunately, the study did not test that hypothesis by testing to see if COVID-19 infections can also cause similar changes in the progeny of pregnant Wistar rats. So it is impossible to know if it was a component in the Pfizer vaccine, or the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, that caused those changes in the rat babies.

Think about this – if it was really the spike protein that caused those changes, then the benefits of vaccination would still outweigh the risks. After all, COVID-19 vaccines only create a limited number of spike protein analogues to trigger the immune system into learning how to create antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

On the other hand, the actual COVID-19 infection will create an unlimited number of SARS-CoV-2 viruses – each covered with spike proteins! The longer the COVID-19 infection persists, the more cells are infected to produce more SARS-CoV-2 viruses… and yes, more spike proteins!

Fact #5 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

Founded as Your News Wire in 2014, it was rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018, before becoming The People’s Voice. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news on Facebook that year.

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

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

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

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Did global poll show Putin 2X more popular than Biden?!

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Did a global poll show that twice as many people would prefer Vladimir Putin as President than Joe Biden?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Global Poll Shows Putin 2X More Popular Than Biden!

People are sharing an article (archive) by The People’s Voice (formerly NewsPunch), which claims that a global poll just showed that twice as many people would prefer Vladimir Putin as President than Joe Biden!

Here is an excerpt of the article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Global Poll Reveals Twice as Many People Would Prefer Putin as President Than Biden

Russian President Vladimir Putin is far more popular around the world than Joe Biden, according to the results of a new global poll that reveals the US is losing influence around the world under Biden’s “weak leadership.”

The poll was conducted by Al-Monitor in partnership with data analytics firm Premise and asked which of the three world leaders they viewed “most favorably.”

44.4% of those surveyed said they viewed Putin most favorably, followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping with 33.8%, while only 21.7% said they preferred Biden.

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Truth : Global Poll Did Not Show Putin 2X More Popular Than Biden!

This is yet another example of fake news created / promoted by The People’s Voice, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : It Was Not A Global Poll

Let me start by pointing out that the Al-Monitor poll which was the basis of the The People’s Voice article was not a global poll. It only covered three Middle Eastern countries – Egypt, Iraq, Turkey; and one North African country – Tunisia.

That’s only a fraction of Middle Eastern and North African countries – just three out of 18 countries in the Middle East, and just one in seven countries in North Africa . It’s not even a regional poll. It also did not include influential countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), or Jordan.

More importantly, the poll covers just 4 of the 195 countries around the world. So the poll does not show that Vladimir Putin is twice as popular as Joe Biden around the world.

Fact #2 : Al-Monitor Poll Did Not Show Waning US Influence

The Al-Monitor poll also does not show the US losing influence around the world under President Joe Biden, as the The People’s Voice article claimed.

In fact, the Al-Monitor poll actually showed that 40% of respondents agreed that the US is still “best equipped to help solve the Israel-Hamas war”, compared to Russia (27.9%) or China (13.4%).

In other words, the respondents overwhelmingly believe that the US is still far more influential than Russia, at least in resolving the Israel-Hamas war.

Fact #3 : Al-Monitor Did Not Refer To Biden’s Weak Leadership

The People’s Voice article suggests that the Al-Monitor polling showed that the US was losing influence due to President Joe Biden’s “weak leadership.

The Al-Monitor article (archive) suggested that Washington’s popularity suffered due to its support of Israel’s war in Gaza, and said nothing about Biden’s leadership qualities.

Again, the Al-Monitor poll showed that 40% of respondents agreed that the US is still “best equipped to help solve the Israel-Hamas war”, compared to Russia (27.9%) or China (13.4%).

That sounds like a tacit acknowledgement that people in those four countries trust Biden far more than Putin in helping to resolve the Israel-Hamas war.

Fact #4 : The People’s Voice Is Known For Fake News

The People’s Voice is the current name for NewsPunch, which possibly changed its name because its brand has been so thoroughly discredited after posting numerous shocking but fake stories.

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

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

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

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

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Pfizer Vaccine Causes Autism? Rats Are Not Mini Humans!

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Did a new Turkish study suggest that giving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant women may cause autism in their children?!

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

Claim : Study Suggests Pfizer mRNA Vaccine May Cause Autism!

The Children’s Health Defense (CHD) activist group, which is chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., just posted an article suggesting that a new Turkish study suggests that giving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to pregnant women may cause autism in their children!

Here is an excerpt from the CHD article (archive) with my emphasis in bold.

Pfizer’s COVID Vaccine Caused Autism-Like Behaviors in Offspring of Rats Vaccinated During Pregnancy

COVID-19 mRNA gene therapies (“vaccines”) were likely the first injectable medicines recommended for pregnant women based on just 11 weeks of testing — even though according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the average time required to test a drug for safety is eight-and-a-half years.

Now, a Turkish study in Neurochemical Research, by Mumin Alper Erdogan et al., suggests administering the mRNA vaccines to pregnant women may cause neurodevelopmental harm to their children.

Truth : Study Did Not Suggest Pfizer mRNA Vaccine Causes Autism!

Let’s take a closer look at the study from Turkey, and find out what the facts really are!

Fact #1 : mRNA Vaccines Are Not Gene Therapies

Let me just start by pointing out that the first sentence in the CHD article is factually wrong – mRNA vaccines are not gene therapies. It’s really peculiar for anyone to make such a claim.

mRNA vaccines do not enter the cell nucleus, and do not modify our cell DNA. There is no danger of “genomic integration”. The mRNA is also transitory – being broken down by the cell after some time.

Gene therapies, on the other hand, are designed to make permanent changes to a patient’s DNA, by adding a functional copy of a gene, disabling a gene, or activating an existing gene.

Fact #2 : Bridging Studies Do Not Require Long Trials

I also find it odd that the article took pains to point out that the mRNA vaccines for pregnant women were approved after “just 11 weeks of testing”. Does the CHD have any evidence that this is insufficient time to determine the vaccines’ safety and efficacy in pregnant women?

It is interesting that the article failed to mention that the 11-week trial involved more than 35,000 individuals who received the Pfizer or Moderna mNRA vaccine during or shortly before pregnancy, making it the largest trial (at that time) on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women.

I should point out that that wasn’t a full-blown Phase 3 clinical trial, which both Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines had already passed with flying colours months earlier. That was a bridging study, which does not require long trials. So any suggestion or insinuation that they should take the “average time” of 8.5 years is nonsensical.

In any case, the COVID-19 vaccines continue to be monitored for safety and efficacy long after their approvals. If any COVID-19 vaccine was found to have a bad side effect, its approval would be rescinded.

Fact #3 : Study Never Suggested mRNA Vaccines Cause Autism In Humans

I should point out that the Turkish study never suggested that mRNA vaccines given to pregnant women may cause neurodevelopmental harm to their children. The authors stated this clearly. More on this in the next section.

Fact #4 : It Was An Animal Study

As the title points out – the Turkish study was conducted on rats, specifically Wistar rats. Therefore, the results obviously do not translate to actual human beings.

… it’s vital to note these insights come primarily from animal studies, limiting their direct applicability to humans. Further human clinical research is required to confirm these findings.

It’s imperative to recognize the limitations of our research, given that it relies on animal models. Caution should be exercised in generalizing these results to humans.

Fact #5 : Pfizer Vaccine Dose Was Extremely High

Fact #6 : Study Did Not Test COVID-19 Infection

Fact #7 : Authors Warned Against Drawing Conclusions

I should end by pointing out that the authors of this study themselves warned against drawing any conclusions about whether the Pfizer vaccine causes autism in human beings.

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

Protect yourself and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19 and other preventable diseases!

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

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

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

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

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Did New Study Show Pfizer mRNA Vaccine Causes Autism?!

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Did a new study from Turkey show that the Pfizer mRNA vaccine causes autism?!

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

Claim : Study Shows Pfizer mRNA Vaccine Causes Autism!

People are sharing articles and screenshots, claiming or suggesting that a new study from Turkey just showed that the Pfizer mRNA vaccine has been shown to cause autism in newborn rats:

Retsev Levi : Jaw dropping published study, showing in controlled experiment on rats, autism-like effect, specific to males that their mothers were vaccinated prenatally with Pfizer mRNA vaccine!

Supported by behavioral tests & autopsies detecting changes in brain!

The study suggests plausible mechanisms!

Just imagine the attacks that the poor authors will get from the pharma shills!

Melissa 🇨🇦 : HOLY CRAP 🚨🫣 you WON’T see this on the news. Prenatal exposure to the mRNA covid vaccine induces autism like behaviours 😞

William Makis MD : NEW ARTICLE: mRNA & Pregnancy – New Turkish Study: Pregnant rats were given Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine.

Newborn rats developed autism, had fewer neurons, impaired motor function, neuro-degeneration & poor neurodevelopment

Shocking new study just published Jan.11, 2024!

(you would think these studies would have been done before rolling it out in millions of pregnant women across the globe)

Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines, when given to pregnant rats, caused the male neonatal rats to develop autism (marked reduction of social interaction and repetitive patterns of behavior), structural brain changes such as decreased neuronal counts, impaired motor performance and altered gene expression of key neurodevelopmental pathways.

It’s time to immediately halt COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines and begin assessing the incalculable damage done to the next generation

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Truth : Study Does Not Show Pfizer mRNA Vaccine Causes Autism!

Let’s take a closer look at the study from Turkey, and find out what the facts really are!

Fact #1 : It Was An Animal Study

As the title points out – the Turkish study was conducted on rats, specifically Wistar rats. Therefore, the results obviously do not necessarily translate to actual human beings.

… it’s vital to note these insights come primarily from animal studies, limiting their direct applicability to humans. Further human clinical research is required to confirm these findings.

It’s imperative to recognize the limitations of our research, given that it relies on animal models. Caution should be exercised in generalizing these results to humans.

Fact #2 : Pfizer Vaccine Dose Was Extremely High

Fact #3 : Study Did Not Test COVID-19 Infection

Unfortunately, the study did not test that hypothesis by testing to see if COVID-19 infection also causes similar changes in the progeny of pregnant Wistar rats. So it is impossible to know if it was a component in the Pfizer vaccine, or the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, that caused those changes in the rat babies.

Think about it – if it was really the spike protein that caused those changes, then the benefits of vaccination would still outweigh the risks. After all, COVID-19 vaccines only create a limited number of spike protein analogues to trigger the immune system into learning how to create antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Fact #4 : Authors Warned Against Drawing Conclusions

I should end by pointing out that the authors of this study themselves warned against drawing any conclusions about whether the Pfizer vaccine causes autism in human beings.

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

Protect yourself and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19 and other preventable diseases!

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

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

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

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

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Did This Muslim Man Just Marry An 8 Year-Old Girl?!

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Did this elderly Muslim man just marry an 8 year-old girl?!

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

Claim : This Muslim Man Just Married An 8 Year-Old Girl!

People are sharing this photo, claiming or suggesting that it shows a Muslim man who just married a very young girl.

David Vance : Husband and wife, Islam approved. Thoughts? (screenshot)

David Atherton : Yes, that is his wife (screenshot)

Mrutyunjay Joshi : 40 year of man with skull cap marries 8 year old girl who was her grand daughter. A little girls dies at Suhagraat.

Truth : That Muslim Man Did Not Marry An 8 Year-Old Girl!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : The Photo Was From 2016

The viral photo isn’t new, even though people are posting it in 2023. It has been circulating since 2016, and keeps going viral over the years.

Fact #2 : The Photo Was Taken In Turkey

Even though some have posted the photo together with screenshots of news articles suggesting that this occurred in Yemen, the viral photo was actually taken in Elâzığ, a city in Turkey.

Fact #3 : It Was A Kindergarten Ceremony

Regardless of what’s been claimed on social media, the viral photo does not show an old man and his very young wife. Neither does it show a wedding of the man and the very young girl.

The photo is one of many taken at a private kindergarten in Elâzığ, Turkey, showing the celebration ceremony held for children – boys and girls, who successfully completed their Quran education.

Notably, the girls came to the kindergarten ceremony dressed in costumes, including wedding dresses. However, it does not mean that they were there to be married off to old men!

The man in the viral photo is apparently the kindergarten’s principal, who shared those photos on the kindergarten’s social media account.

Needless to say – the parents of those children were also present! The photos also show the children receiving presents.

Fact #4 : Bride Who Died On Wedding Night Was A Different Girl

The shocking case of an 8 year-old Yemeni girl called Rawan, who allegedly died on her wedding night, has been tied to this viral photo.

Allegedly, the girl died from internal bleeding and a uterine rupture, after having intercourse with her 40 year-old husband on their wedding night in the northwestern Yemeni town of Meedi.

The story was reported by a Yemeni social activist, and confirmed to Reuters by two residents in Meedi. However, a security official in the provincial town of Haradh denied that any such incident occurred. To date, no additional details have been reported, and it is not known if this incident actually happened.

Even if the story is true, that incident was reported in September 2013 – more than 10 years ago. That case has nothing to do with the viral photo above, which was taken three years later – in 2016.

Fact #5 : Dead Bride + Husband Photos Are False

To be clear – no known photo exists of the 40 year-old man, or his 8 year-old bride who allegedly died on their wedding night. The two viral photos that often accompany that story were misappropriated.

The man in the screenshot below is actually Ebrahim Yusuf Kazi, a 67 year-old imam who was jailed in 2011 for two years for sexually assaulting three young girls in the United Kingdom.

The girl, who appears to be dressed as a bride, was apparently taken from a Russia-1 video uploaded in 2012, about child brides in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) of the former Soviet Union.

I should also point out that the girl’s name is not Ilham Mahdi al Assi. That is a 13 year-old Yemeni girl who died after bleeding from her first sexual intercourse with her 23 year-old husband, Abed al-Hikmi. That happened in April 2010, and her husband was detained by the police.

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

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

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Did Ukrainians Attack Russian Woman With Putin Tattoo?!

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Did Ukrainian tourists attack a Russian woman with a Putin tattoo, only to end up getting beaten up instead?!

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

Claim : Ukrainians Attacked Russian Woman With Putin Tattoo!

Pro-Russian propagandists and supporters (vatniks) are promoting a video that claims to show Ukrainian tourists attacking a Russian woman because she had a tattoo of Vladimir Putin, only to get beaten up instead!

❗️A group of Ukrainian tourists attacked a Russian woman holidaying on a Turkish beach who had a tattoo of Vladimir Putin.

😂Unfortunately for the Ukrainians – the Russian woman was a master in combat sambo.

The video, which is about 1 minute and 45 seconds long, is also being shared by pro-CCP netizens, and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) on WhatsApp and Western social media platforms.

Claim : Ukrainians Did Not Attack Russian Woman With Putin Tattoo!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created to diminish support for Ukraine’s fight to defend itself against Russian aggression, and here are there reasons why..

Fact #1 : The Video Was Originally Released On Telegram

First, let me start by pointing out that the original video was released by the Telegram account @BadShofer at 8:40 PM on 25 July 2023.

Fact #2 : The Video Was Recorded In Vladivostok

The video was not recorded in a beach in Turkey, as the viral message claimed. According to @BadShofer, the video was recorded in Vladivostok (Владивосток).

Vladivostok is a Russian city located near China and North Korea, and where the headquarters of the Russian Pacific Fleet is located. Needless to say – you won’t find Ukrainian tourists in Vladivostok!

Fact #3 : The Video Was Edited

The original video was only 53 seconds long. The viral video is much longer, but actually stops playing after 53 seconds.

The original video also had a much taller 9:16 aspect ratio. The viral video was edited to crop out the watermark at the bottom, which makes it look more squarish. This was probably done to make it more difficult for fact checkers to trace the provenance of the video.

You can watch the original clip posted by @BadShofer below, with the watermark intact.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Vladivostok-fighting.mp4?_=1

Fact #4 : Table Umbrellas Have Russian Words

Just in case @BadShofer may be lying / mistaken, I took a closer look at the table umbrellas sponsored by Amstel, which have these Russian words printed on them:

C УВАЖЕНИЕМ К ДРУЖБЕ И [unreadable]
С 1870 ГОДА

WITH RESPECT FOR FRIENDSHIP AND [unreadable] SINCE 1870

A red Wall’s umbrella can also be seen with this Russian word:

МОРОЖеНОЕ!

ICE-CREAM!

They help to confirm that the location of this incident was not in Turkey, but in Russia.

Fact #5 : No Evidence Woman Had Putin Tattoo

The video itself shows no evidence that the woman had any Vladimir Putin tattoo. The only thing we can be certain of is that she has tattoos on both arms.

Since the incident occurred in Russia, if the lady was really attacked for having a Vladimir Putin tattoo, that must mean he’s really not very popular in Russia these days!

Regardless of the reason for this fight, it seems certain that no Ukrainian tourists were involved! It appears to be nothing more than a couple of Russian holidayers fighting with each other.

Fact #6 : This Is Just Russian Propaganda

Ultimately, the viral video is yet another example of Russian propaganda, which is shoddy as usual. However, it is being shared and promoted by Chinese netizens, and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Here is a selection of Russian and Ukraine War propaganda that have been proven false:

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

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

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

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Did US Steal Instant Noodles From Earthquake Victims?!

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Was the US military caught stealing Indomie instant noodles that Indonesia donated to earthquake victims?!

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

Claim : US Stole Instant Noodles From Earthquake Victims!

People are sharing a photo of US soldiers carrying Indomie boxes, claiming that it is evidence the US military stole instant noodles that Indonesia donated to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria!

ElysiusThor : Hot on the heels of the US military stealing tents donated by China to the Syrian earthquake victims, it’s now been revealed that they’re also stealing Indonesian-donated instant noodles as well. What the hell is the Pentagon feeding them then?

Bevin Chu 朱炳文 : The Unite [sic] States. An equal opportunity looter.

It loots the Syrian people’s oil, the Chinese people’s humanitarian relief tents, and the Indonesian people’s humanitarian relief foodstuffs with equal alacrity.

军武季 : 继美军盗窃中国捐赠给叙利亚地震灾民的帐篷后，又被爆出盗窃印尼捐赠的方便面。五角大楼到底在喂他们什么？

After the U.S. military stole the tents donated by China to the victims of the earthquake in Syria, it was revealed that it stole instant noodles donated by Indonesia. What the hell is the Pentagon feeding them?

Recommended : Was US Military Caught Stealing Tents From China?!

Truth : US Did Not Steal Instant Noodles From Earthquake Victims!

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

Fact #1 : Viral Photo Was Taken In Turkey

I traced the origin of viral photo to the DVIDS (Defense Visual Information Distribution Service) website.

I confirmed that the original photo was taken by Captain William Stroud, of the 1st Armoured Division Combat Aviation Brigade, in Dulkadiroğlu, Türkiye on 22 February 2023.

Fact #2 : US Soldiers Were Delivering Aid In Turkey

The claim that the US military stole the Indomie instant noodles from Indonesia is nonsense.

The soldiers were carrying relief supplies to people affected by the earthquake in Turkey. This was clearly explained in the caption of the photo:

U.S. Army soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade (12th CAB), V Corps, delivers relief supplies to Turkish authorities in Dulkadiroğlu, Türkiye, Feb. 22, 2023. The 12th CAB supports the dynamic lift capability of the 1AD CAB in direct support of USAID and Turkish relief efforts, to those affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye. 12th CAB is one of several U.S. military units supporting Task Force 61/2 (TF 61/2), operating under U.S. Sixth Fleet, U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR), and U.S. European Command as part of the International Turkish disaster relief efforts.

Here is another photo of the same Indomie instant noodles, this time being delivered by US Marines on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

Earthquake relief. @USMC Marines assist the Turkish military loading humanitarian aid onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at Incirlik Air Base, Türkiye, as part of an international effort supporting earthquake relief operations. pic.twitter.com/Is8hn13WwP

— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) February 26, 2023

Fact #3 : Indomie Instant Noodles Were Produced In Turkey

It is unknown if the Indomie instant noodles were donated by Indonesia, or merely provided by the Turkish relief agency, AFAD.

However, the Indomie instant noodles in the viral photo appear to be produced in Turkey. If you look closely at the boxes, you can see that these Turkish words.

Hazir Noodle : Instant Noodles

Yerli Üretim : Domestic Production

Bardak : Cup [Noodles]

Sebzeli Hazir Noodle : Vegetarian Instant Noodles

In 2014, Indofood set up a factory to produce Indomie instant noodles in the Tekirdağ industrial district, in Turkey.

Fact #4 : US Military Helped To Deliver Aid

While many countries sent tons of food and other supplies to Turkey, most did not have any base or ability to transport the humanitarian aid to the affected areas. That was left to AFAD – the Turkish relief agency.

That was where the United States military came in – they used their helicopters at the Incirlik Air Base to deliver donated aid to the affected areas that are hard to reach by trucks.

That’s why you see US soldiers taking things on or off helicopters, which may have been donated by other countries. They were not stealing anything, just helping to deliver them.

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

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

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Was US Military Caught Stealing Tents From China?!

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Did the Chinese catch the US military stealing humanitarian tents China donated to Syria?!

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

Claim : US Military Was Caught Stealing Tents From China!

People are sharing a photo of a US soldier carrying a white humanitarian tent, claiming that it is evidence the US military stole it from China, just like how it stole oil from Syria!

A few days ago, the Chinese discovered that the US military was using tents from China. Only now it turned out these tents are from a humanitarian convoy that China sent to Syria. The Americans are not only stealing oil from Syria, but also humanitarian aid.

Even Iranian state media, Press TV, posted the same photo, and claim:

It’s not only oil that the US steals from Syria!

A photo of an American soldier carrying a Chinese tent has been circulating on social media!

It is now reported that the tents were from a humanitarian convoy that China had sent to Syria.

Truth : US Military Was NOT Caught Stealing Tents From China!

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

Fact #1 : Viral Photo Was Taken In Turkey

First, let me just point out that the viral photo was actually posted by the US Army’s official Instagram account on March 8, 2023. It was also taken in Turkey, not Syria, as alleged.

Fact #2 : US Soldier Was Delivering Aid In Turkey

The claim that the US military was using tents from China is nonsense.

The soldier was carrying the humanitarian tent to aid people affected by the earthquake in Turkey. This was clearly explained in the caption of the photo:

See how @101stabndivaa (101st Airborne Division) is #MakingADifference

First Strike Soldiers continue to work in support of USAID – US Agency for International Development and Turkish relief efforts to those affected by the earthquake in Türkiye. The First Strike Way! 🖤

#StrongerTogether #Peoplehelpingpeople #Support #disasterrelief

Fact #3 : Tent Was Likely Donated By China

Despite counter-claims that the tent was donated by Taiwan, the tent carried by the US soldier appears to be donated by China to help with the humanitarian efforts in Turkey and Syria, following the massive 2023 earthquake.

The tent cover has the printed description in Simplified Chinese (which is used in China, Singapore and Malaysia), instead of Traditional Chinese used in Taiwan:

应急救灾 12m²
数量：1套
体积 : 1830mmx210mm

Emergency Disaster Relief 12m²
Quantity : 1 Set
Dimensions : 1830mmx210mm

Fact #4 : US Military Helped To Deliver Aid

While the China sent tons of tents and other supplies to Turkey, it did not have any base or ability to transport those aid to the affected areas. That was left to AFAD – the Turkish relief agency.

That was where the United States military came in – they used their helicopters at the Incirlik Air Base to deliver donated aid to the affected areas that are hard to reach by trucks.

That’s why you see US soldiers taking things on or off helicopters, which may have been donated by other countries. They were not stealing anything, just helping to deliver them.

Fact #5 : US Has Almost Triple Military Budget Of China

Only the most ignorant Chinese or pro-CCP netizen will believe that the US military needs to steal tents donated by China. And of all things – white humanitarian tents…

Anyone who even does a 5 second check would have discovered that the United States has almost triple the military budget of China.

In 2021, the US military budget was $767.8 billion, while China only spent $270 billion on its military. The US military can definitely afford to pay for more tents than the Chinese.

Fact #6 : No Evidence Chinese Convoy Got Hijacked By US Military

There is no evidence that the tent being carried by the soldier was stolen from a Chinese humanitarian convoy in Syria.

There is also no evidence that any Chinese humanitarian convoy was hijacked by the US military. If that actually happened, China would have protested the hijacking publicly, and the news would have been broadcasted by the many press and propaganda outlets controlled by the CCP government.

Naturally, there was nothing of the sorts. But since when have the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), or pro-CCP netizens, ever cared about facts?

Fact #7 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

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

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

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

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

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

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Did Western Ambassadors Evacuate Before Turkey Earthquake?!

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Did Western countries collude to strike Turkey with an earthquake, and evacuated their embassies and ambassadors before it happened?!

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

Claim : Western Ambassadors Evacuated Before Turkey Earthquake!

Conspiracy theorists are claiming that Western countries colluded to strike Turkey with an earthquake, and evacuated their embassies and ambassadors before it happened!

UPDATED: List of the countries with leading ambassadors that left Turkey 24 hrs before the earthquakes struck.

1. USA
2 Canada
3. Britain
4. Germany
5. Belgium
6. Italy
7. Holland
8. France
9. Denmark
10. Australia

Coincidence? 👀

The earthquake was caused by a DEW (Direct Energy Weapon) that beamed onto the fault lines. 2 anomalies suggest that the earthquake was man-made. 1) Quakes of such magnitude are usually deep – around 30km deep. These were shallow, about 10 km.

2) There were 2 high magnitude quakes one after another – 7.8 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. Very unusual. There were hardly any other aftershocks between or after the second quake. Turkey has been trying to leave NATO, and has also been blocking Finland’s and Sweden’s entry into NATO. The quakes were a warning to Turkey to behave or else.

Another anomaly was that 15-20 minutes before the first quake, all the underground gas and oil pipelines in that region were shut off.

Show less

Even David “Avocado” Wolfe got in on this conspiracy theory :

List of countries that pulled their ambassadors out of Turkey 24 hours before the earthquake.

✓Canada
✓USA
✓Britain
✓Germany
✓Belgium
✓Italy
✓Holland
✓France

Nothing suspicious here
-Black Conspiracy Reality

No Evidence Western Ambassadors Evacuated Before Turkey Earthquake!

This is just FAKE NEWS created by conspiracy theorists to capitalise on the massive earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023.

Fact #1 : No Evidence Western Ambassadors Evacuated Before Earthquake

While conspiracy theorists confidently rattle off the list of eight countries, they did not actually provide any evidence that those countries evacuated their ambassadors.

There is no evidence, whether from credible media reports, or even social media posts, that any ambassador fled Turkey just before the earthquake hit.

Fact #2 : Six Of The Embassies Refuted The Claim

Reuters reached out to all eight embassies in Turkey about these claims that they were evacuated before the earthquake, and six responded.

Representatives of the embassies of Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, the Netherland, and France, told Reuters by email that the allegations are false. The US and Belgian embassies in Turkey have yet to respond.

Fact #3 : Western Ambassadors Seen In Turkey After Earthquake

Several Western ambassadors were seen in photos taken soon after the massive earthquake hit Turkey (here, here, here, here, here, and here).

Fact #4 : Embassies Temporarily Closed Over Terror Threats

The viral claims are sometimes linked to an article by Arab News, which point to the closure of Western embassies three days before the earthquake hit Turkey and Syria.

However, anyone who bothered to read the article would realise that those countries temporarily closed their embassies or issued travel warnings, following a series of far-right protests in Europe, which included several incidents of burning copies of the Quran.

That decision to temporarily close the embassies came right after Turkish police arrested 15 Daesh suspects who were accused of targeting consulates and non-Muslim houses of worship.

The closure of the embassies had nothing to do with the earthquake that came three days later. There is also no evidence that any ambassador or embassy employee was evacuated from Turkey over these security threats.

I should also point out that the US embassy in Turkey did not close over these perceived terror threats.

Fact #5 : Directed Energy Weapons Did Not Cause Earthquake

There is no evidence that Western countries used Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) to cause the earthquake on February 6, 2023.

Directed Energy Weapons is a “catch-all” term referring to weapons that use energy, instead of projectiles, like laser, microwave, particle beams, and sound beams.

While it sounds impressive, directed energy weapons are nowhere near powerful enough to cause earthquakes. Their power also decreases exponentially with range, so they can only be used at relatively close ranges.

Fact #6 : Only Turkey + Iran Claim To Have Directed Energy Weapons

Quite a number of countries are developing directed energy weapons, including China, the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

However, only Turkey and Iran claim to have actually deployed such weapons, with Turkey claiming the first use of directed energy weapons in combat, when it used its ALKA directed-energy weapon to shoot down a Wing Loong II UAV in Libya in August 2019.

The ALKA directed energy weapon has a peak power output of 50 kW, and is designed to destroy drones using its laser at up to 500 m distance, and electromagnetic systems at up to 1 km distance.

Fact #7 : There Were Over 2,100 Aftershocks

The claim that there were “hardly any other aftershocks” is nonsense. A total of 2,109 aftershocks were recorded from 6 to 12 February. By 20 February, over 6,000 aftershocks were recorded.

On top of that, over 320 of those aftershocks had a magnitude of 4.0, with 25 of them recorded within six hours of the main tremor.

Fact #8 : Turkey Is Not Trying To Leave NATO

The claim that Turkey is trying to leave NATO is nonsense.

On January 23, 2023, a Turkish politician called Ethem Sancak said that Turkey might leave NATO in 5-6 months over provocative actions by other NATO members.

However, two days later, a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, Omer Celik, refuted the claim:

We face such things in every election (calls for ending Turkey’s membership of NATO). These are not the things that we will worry about. Those who call for terminating Turkey’s membership of NATO do not talk sense.

This is out of the question. We are one of the founding countries of NATO. They have no right to say such things. What they say would be a luxury for NATO.

I should point out that leaving NATO would automatically open the door for Finland and Sweden to be accepted as a member state, as Turkey is the only country objecting to their ascension.

That is one of the many reasons why Turkey won’t be leaving NATO quite so soon, even if they are thinking about it – Turkey would lose its veto leverage over Finland and Sweden.

Fact #9 : Gas + Oil Pipelines Shut Down After Earthquake

The claim that gas and oil pipelines were shut down 15-20 minutes before the earthquake struck is false. Oil and gas pipelines were shut down after the earthquake, not before.

If they were shut down before the earthquake, that would imply that the Turkish government was in cahoots with the dastardly Western governments using directed energy weapons to punish them for wanting to leave NATO which would deprive Turkey of its ability to blackmail Finland and Sweden.

Can you now see how idiotic such a conspiracy theory sounds, when you lay out the trail of nonsense in the open?

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

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Did This American Harass Chinese Female Tourists?!

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Did an American man harass Chinese female tourists, telling them to go back to China?!

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

Updated @ 2023-02-19 : Added more details
Originally posted @ 2022-06-10

Claim : This American Harassed Chinese Female Tourists!

People are sharing a video of a man harassing two Asian females, as evidence of anti-Asian racism in the United States. The video shows a man recording himself berating two Asian females on a beach, saying :

Go! Go! Take your dress and go from this country.

I hate Chinese. Fuck China. China, fuck you.

Translated from Turkish : You people made corona[virus] a thing, and now the economy is shit

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Turkish-man-harasses-Chinese-female-tourists.mp4?_=2

Originally spread in June 2022 targeting Americans, it’s being shared again in February 2023, with messages targeting Turkey and/or Europe:

Chinese ladies were asked to leave the beach in Europe….they were not welcome there.
Better be careful and alert while travelling in Europe… the situation might turn violent if you confronted the “white”. Safer to travel in Thailand East Asia.

The INTERNMENT CAMPS are coming…. should HOSTILITIES breakout with CHINA.

It’s time for CHINA to stop putting their TOURISM MONEY into the hands of these UNGRATEFUL COUNTRIES.

CHINA Chinese ladies were asked to leave the beach in EUROPE….as they were not welcome there.

Truth : He Is Not An American Harassing Chinese Female Tourists!

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

After investigating this video, here are the facts that I was able to ascertain…

Fact #1 : Video Was Recorded In Cyprus

First, let me point out that this video wasn’t recorded in the United States. It was recorded at the Nissi Bay Beach in Cyprus.

In fact, I geolocated the precise location to a few metres south of the Petra Snack Bar, at the Nissi Beach Resort.

On the left is a screenshot at 0:15 of the video clip; and on the right is a picture of the Petra Snack Bar taken in October 2019 by Matthias Schelker, at almost the same position!

You can see the same white Petra Snack Bar signboard, and stairs leading up to the cafe; as well as the red Life Guard shack.

Another man who was standing nearby (seen here in the left screenshot) told him off, “No, no”, to which the man responded, “What the fuck, no?”

Fact #2 : Man In Video Is Not American

The man in the video is not American. Even though he asked the ladies to “go from this country“, he’s not even a citizen of Cyprus!

He’s actually a Turkish citizen called Taner Tolga Tarlacı, who is living in Cyprus because he was sentenced to 18-20 years of jail in Turkey for a variety of small crimes.

Allegedly, he learned about the arrest warrant on a ferry from Cyprus to Turkey, and literally jumped off the ship and swam back to Cyprus to avoid arrest!

Fact #3 : Taner Creates Controversial Videos

Taner is actually a minor Turkish celebrity, after participating in Turkish Got Talent and Survivor Turkey (Survivor Türkiye). Since then, he has been creating controversial or crazy videos… and even porn!

He is notable for bizarre antics, so much so, he allegedly got his own TV show cancelled when he chased his guests with a fire extinguisher on its first episode!

So it is possible he recorded the video to “go viral”, which is why he made sure he figured prominently in it.

For small-timers like Taner Tolga Tarlaci, bad publicity probably is better than no publicity at all. Such controversies help keep him in public light.

Fact #4 : The Ladies May Not Even Be Chinese!

When Taner told the Asian ladies to leave the beach, you can hear the lady who was standing up say, “Yeah, okay” in what sounds like an American accent. She could possibly be Chinese American!

In any case, there is no way to know if the ladies are Chinese citizens as alleged. They could be Japanese or Korean, or people of Chinese ethnicity from other countries like the United States.

Fact #5 : The Video Was Allegedly Taken In 2020

According to several netizens, the video was allegedly taken early in the COVID-19 pandemic, circa 2020.

I am bringing this up because people are claiming that this is a new video in various websites, social media and even WhatsApp.

This video first came to our attention after going viral in June 2022, and has gone viral again in February 2023.

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

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

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2023 Turkey Earthquake : Fake Photos + Scam Alert!

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Please watch out for fake photos + videos, as well as donation scams capitalising on the devastating 2023 earthquake in Turkey!

2023 Turkey Earthquake : Fake Photos Alert!

Many people have been sharing photos of the massive earthquake that devastated both Turkey and Syria on 6 February 2023.

Unfortunately, quite a number of fake photos on WhatsApp and social media. They also appear in TikTok and YouTube videos. Here are a few notable examples.

Old Man With Bread

This photo of an old man with bread is being shared as a lesson on why we should be humble, respectful and kind.

It took just 17secs to change his status from the owner of 33 buildings to a person who’s surviving on bread and finding shelter where he can.

#TurkeyEarthquake teaches us an important lesson that life is unpredictable and nothing is permanent. Be humble, respectful and kind.

How being humble, respectful and kind could have helped this poor man was not explained. Neither did the people sharing this “lesson” explain why this photo has been circulating since 1999…

Yes, this photo was taken by photographer, Abdurrahman Antakyalı, almost 24 years ago, after the Düzce Earthquake that occurred on 12 November, 1999.

Needless to say, that old man was not a rich man who owned 33 buildings. It is incredible that people who create a fake story about this poor man. If there is a lesson to be learned, it is that everyone should “verify before sharing“!

Dog Looking For Survivor

Many people are sharing photos of dogs looking for survivors, like this example below, which was shared with messages like:

The little heroes will save many lives. Pray for Turkey.

This is incredible! A dog in Turkey was seen digging trying to rescue its owner. When the dog failed to move the heavy debris, he started barking to ask for help while holding one of his owner’s fingers!

Syrian🇸🇾 Turkish🇹🇷 Earthquakes!

Dogs are sensitive to their owner ❤️😊

The truth is – that is one of many stock images of “dogs looking for people in earthquake” available online.

That photo, and similar examples featuring the same dog as well as others dogs were posted by Czech photographer, Jaroslav Noska, on November 2020.

This suggests that the photos were staged for use as stock photos, and not actual photos of a real disaster area, or even real rescue dogs.

Tryon The Rescue Dog

Many people shared this photo of a dirty-looking dog, claiming that it just saved 10 lives in the 2023 earthquake in Turkey.

This dog worked all night last night and saved 10 lives

This dog hero who worked the whole night and saved 10 lives in Turkey.

The truth is – this is Tryon the rescue dog who helped to search for victims of a deadly mudslide near Oso, Washington, in the United States.

This photo was taken by Rick Wilking, a freelance photographer for Reuters, on March 30, 2014. He provided the following caption for this photo:

Tryon the rescue dog waits to go through the decontamination area at the mudslide after searching for victims in Oso, Washington March 30, 2014.

2023 Turkey Earthquake : Donation Scam Alert!

People are not just posting those fake photos to “virtue signal” or increase their popularity, some are using them for donation scams!

Photos of Tryon the rescue dog above, for example, is being used to solicit donations for the people in Syria.

(Need Some reputable or NGO in Syria to pay or food. Shelter, blankets the Earthquake affects from the donations if gathered from this page.

As Sanction Syria from all over the world needs our help. Turkey has been helping by many.

He (Reputable) or NGO must be at the Earthquake affected areas of Syria and make video or come live while giving blankets, food, donation etc. Thanks )

– Those who want to Help/Donate. Message us. Thanks!

Even more egregious is this photo of a firefighter holding a child with a Turkish flag on his sleeve.

Friends, we have launched an aid campaign to reach people who have experienced an #earthquake disaster in Turkey.

#btc B : 1)n3C4GiFCzERTWd6nvCc4hTzvK8Viz88y

#eth: Ox2cff2ad875£68bf4ec5a478e505767c348dd61d

#Suns suns

The trouble is – the photo isn’t real! It was created by Major General Panagiotis Kotridis of the Aegean fire brigade using the AI image generator called Midjourney.

While they are capable of creating really realistic images, such artificial intelligence image generators often leave tell-tale mistakes.

In the viral photo below, you can see that the firefighter has six fingers on his right hand with an abnormally long thumb. His left hand is also missing, with a third “hand?” right next to it.

The BBC investigated further, and found that one of the crypto wallet addresses had been used in scam and spam tweets since 2018, while the other crypto wallet address had been posted on VK – the Russian social media website, together with pornographic content.

Ax Sharma, a cybersecurity expert at Sonatype, also pointed out that scammers are creating fake disaster relief accounts on social media to cheat people. One example is @TurkeyRelief on Twitter, which was created in January 2023 with just 31 followers and asked for donations using PayPal.

Scammers are also using TikTok Live to ask for donations, using captions like “Let’s help Turkey”, “Pray for Turkey” and “Donate for earthquake victims” over their videos. According to the BBC, TikTok takes up to 70% of the proceeds of these digital gifts.

So please WATCH OUT for such donation scams, which use real or fake photos / videos to trick people into sending them money.

If you want to help, please donate DIRECTLY to reputable organisations like the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Médecins San Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), OxFam, or the nearest Turkish embassy.

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

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Did Turkey Earthquake Cause Nuclear Plant Explosion?!

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Did the massive Turkey earthquake cause an atomic explosion at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant?!

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

Claim : Turkey Earthquake Caused Nuclear Plant Explosion!

People are sharing a video of a shocking explosion that allegedly happened at a nuclear power plant, after the massive Turkey earthquake.

☢️ Shocking Atomic explosion at a nuclear power plant in Turkey

Atomic explosion at a nuclear power plant in Turkey.

Due to the last earthquake produced in Turkey, the massive explosion of a nuclear power plant is reported. At the moment, more information about the event is unknown or if it has caused fatalities. But judging by the images, it is very possible that there were deaths and injuries in the areas near the explosion. We will keep reporting.

Truth : Turkey Earthquake Did Not Cause Nuclear Plant Explosion!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by a YouTube channel to generate money, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Is Still Under Construction

Turkey does not have any operational nuclear power plants, and only one under construction – the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in Büyükeceli, in the Mersin Province.

The first reactor is only scheduled to be completed later in 2023, but it may be delayed by sanctions placed on Rosatom – the Russian company building the nuclear power plant.

Fact #2 : Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant Was Undamaged By Earthquake

On Monday, February 6, 2023, a major magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central Turkey and northwest Syria.

Fortunately, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant was only hit by magnitude 3 tremors, and was not damaged.

Earth tremors of about magnitude 3 were felt here… but our specialists have not revealed any damage to building structures, cranes and equipment.

Nevertheless, we are carrying out extensive diagnostic measures to make sure that construction and installation operations can continue safely.

– Anastasia Zoteeva, Rosatom spokesperson

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concurred, stating that there was “no impact” from the earthquakes in Turkey, and the nuclear power plant under construction was “unaffected“.

As of now, no impact from earthquakes on nuclear safety & security in Türkiye, its Nuclear Regulatory Authority told IAEA; no issues so far related to radiological safety & security of radioactive sources, & the country's under construction nuclear power plant is unaffected.

— IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) February 6, 2023

Fact #3 : No Report Of Explosion In Mainstream Media

A nuclear power plant explosion would have been big news, and yet, there is no mention of such an explosion in any media outlet. Not CNN, not BBC, not even RT in Russia or CCTV in China.

That’s because this Turkey nuclear power plant explosion never happened. It’s a hoax. Fake news!

Fact #4 : Photo Was From Stock Photography Website

I traced the cover photo of the Turkey nuclear explosion to a stock photography website called Pixabay.

The YouTube video creator, Hide World, used the photo called “Nuclear Explosion Apocalypse” to trick you into believing that there was a nuclear power plant explosion in Turkey.

The image was created by by CristianIS, and posted to the Pixabay website on March 12, 2020.

Fact #5 : Video Showed 2020 Port of Beirut Explosion

The shocking explosion shown in the video created by Hide World was misappropriated from the 2020 Beirut explosion in Lebanon.

On 4 August 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the Port of Beirut exploded, killing at least 218 people and devastating the port and its surrounding areas.

The video that Hide World used was taken by a witness at a restaurant, and showed the second explosion at the Port of Beirut.

You can see the original video (here) posted by Al Arabiya English on 9 August 2020. If you compare that to the Hide World video (below), you can see that they are exactly the same.

Hide World used the Beirut port explosion from 2.5 years ago, to trick you into believing that it’s a video of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant explosion in Turkey.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/☢️-Shocking-Atomic-explosion-at-a-nuclear-power-plant-in-Turkey.mp4?_=3

Fact #6 : This Is Another Example Of Fake YouTube Videos

This is just another example of fake videos created by YouTubers who want to generate more views to build up their channel, or to generate ad money.

Here are some examples of fake YouTube videos that I fact checked in the past:

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

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David Jenkins Died From SADS, Not Vaccine!

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Find out why David Jenkins – Olympic diver Tom Daley’s coach, died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), and not from the COVID-19 vaccine!

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

Claim : David Jenkins Who Trained Tom Daley Died From Vaccine SADS!

Right after news broke that David Jenkins died suddenly while swimming, anti-vaccination activists immediately claimed that the 31 year-old coach for Olympic diver Tom Daley was a victim of COVID-19 vaccine SADS!

Here are some examples on social media:

The number of Suddenlynitis deaths, keeps growing.
31 year old David Jenkins, who was Tom Daley’s Olympic diving coach, was found collapsed in a swimming pool
Another jabbed victim of ‘SADS’ (sudden adult death syndrome)

Team GB’s Olympic diving coach David Jenkins dies aged 31 as tributes flood in – The Sun THE VAX IS KILLING

Sudden adult death syndrome= shitty sons of bitches stupid enough to believe that a safe vaccine can be developed in six months. Now those bastards are dying like flies. Let them serve as a lesson.

Truth : David Jenkins Died From SADS, Not Vaccine!

It’s now a tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all athlete deaths or illnesses on the COVID-19 vaccine.

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : David Jenkins Was Found Unconscious Underwater

David Jenkins, who was Tom Daley’s Olympic diving coach, went for a swim before dinner at a hotel in the Turkish city of Antalya on Saturday, October 9, 2021.

He had spent the day training the Great Britain diving squad, following their success at the summer Olympics.

At 7:20 PM, the National Performance Director for British Diving (at that time), Alexei Evangulov, was about to sit down for dinner, when a hotel staff member asked for him, “Please come with me, one of your team members is in the pool and he doesn’t go out.”

The staff member explained that Jenkins was “doing exercises in the water and then died underwater“. When Evangulov arrived at the pool, he saw Jenkins “lying at the bottom… face up, and had his goggles on“.

He called for an ambulance, and pulled David Jenkins out of the pool with the help of a swimming coach from Denmark.

David Jenkins was taken to a hospital where doctors attempted to resuscitate him, and his heart came “in and out” for just under an hour. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at around 9 PM.

Fact #2 : David Jenkins Often Holds Breath Underwater

The UK inquest into his death was told that David Jenkins was a fan of exercises in which he would hold his breath underwater for long periods of time, in line with the Wim Hof Method.

The Wim Hof Method is named after the Dutch extreme athlete who holds his breath underwater in freezing temperatures, and uses the Tibetan Tummo meditation to increase the time by which the practitioner can hold his/her breath underwater.

This may or may not have been a factor in his death, but it would certainly explain why he was found at the bottom of the pool.

Fact #3 : Autopsy Confirmed David Jenkin’s Cause of Death

An autopsy of David Jenkins with a toxicology test were conducted not only in Turkey, but also in the United Kingdom by Dr. Deirdre McKenna. The toxicology results showed that he had not been drinking, and he did not consume recreational drugs before he died.

While the autopsies showed nothing unusual, an inquest at North London Coroners Court concluded that David Jenkins died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), also known as Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome,

Assistant Coroner for North London Peter Straker explained how it can strike young, healthy people, and that they suffer an arrhythmia before the heart stops.

There have been some high-profile cases including famously, the footballer Christian Eriksen, whose heart stopped while he was on a football field.

He had advanced life support available almost instantly. You can imagine what the result would have been if he was in a pool, if that is of any use.

The coroner concluded that David Jenkins died of natural causes, specifically – adult cardiac death.

Fact #4 : SADS Is An Inherited Heart Condition

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 #5 : Unknown If David Jenkins Was Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Anti-vaccination activists claim that David Jenkins was fully-vaccinated against COVID-19. However, there is no evidence of that, as he never publicly revealed his vaccination status.

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

Until and unless we know his COVID-19 vaccination status, anyone who claims that David Jenkins was killed by the COVID-19 vaccine is lying to you.

Even if David Jenkins was vaccinated, he would likely received the AstraZeneca vaccine, which does not have the small risk of myocarditis in young adult (younger than 25 years old).

Fact #6 : Claims Of Athletes Dying From COVID-19 Vaccine Proven False

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Did Russia Capture US General Roger Cloutier In Azovstal?!

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Did Russian forces just capture US general Roger Cloutier in the besieged Azovstal steel plant?!

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

Claim : Russia Captured US General Roger Cloutier In Azovstal!

People are claiming that Russia just captured US general Roger L. Cloutier at the besieged Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.

This is sometimes mentioned as part of the Azovstal NATO headquarters story, or separately like these examples :

The rumours going around that a US Major General Roger L. Cloutier has been captured by Russian army at Azovstal in Mariupol. It would be within the Russians’ right to execute this officer as nothing more than a common criminal. Not kidding. Legally by all laws.

The Russian army captured the US Major General Roger L. Cloutier Jr., the US Africa Command HQ Chief of Staff in the besieged Ukrainian Azov camp in Mariupol. The Pentagon wanted to contact Putin.

Truth : Russia Did NOT Capture US General Roger Cloutier At All!

The truth is – this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and shared by pro-Russia activists, as well as the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Fact #1 : Roger Cloutier Is A Lieutenant General

First of all, Roger L. Cloutier holds the rank of a Lieutenant General (O-9), and is a three-star general officer.

He is not a Major General (O-8), which is a two-star general officer rank.

Fact #2 : Roger Cloutier Heads NATO Allied Land Command

Secondly, Lt. General Cloutier is not the Chief of Staff for US Africa Command.

He has been the Command of the NATO Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) in Izmir, Turkey, for the last 1.5 years – since August 2020.

Fact #3 : General Cloutier Appeared On 14 April 2022

Two weeks after these claims started circulating amongst pro-Russian and pro-CCP (Chinese Communist Party) groups, Lt. General Cloutier posted a video on 14 April 2022.

It showed him greeting the commander of the NATO Multinational Corps (South East), Major General Dragoş-Dumitru Iacob at the LANDCOM headquarters.

Fact #4 : NATO Confirmed That It’s Fake News

NATO has described the viral news as “completely fake news”, and confirmed that :

LTG Cloutier has NOT been captured and is currently with his command in Izmir.

LANDCOM Deputy Public Affairs Officer, Major Brian Andries also confirmed that his boss is still very much in Turkey :

These rumors are completely false. Our commander is currently commanding NATO Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey, and has not been to Ukraine since the Land Staff Talks we conducted in July of 2021. While NATO nations are sending financial and military aid to Ukraine, no NATO soldiers or leaders are deployed to the country.

Fact #5 : There Are No NATO Forces In Ukraine

Allied Land Command told BBC reporter Alistair Coleman that “there are no NATO forces or leaders in Ukraine in any capacity“.

Major Brian Andries from LANDCOM also pointed out that that Cloutier was last in Ukraine in July 2021, and photos from that visit was used to “prove” the fake news :

Photos from this event have been used as proof as recent visit to Ukraine which never occurred. No NATO forces are in Ukraine, let alone a United States Army three-star general.

Variants of this FAKE NEWS are now being shared in pro-Russia and pro-CCP websites.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

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

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Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed?!

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Does NATO have a secret headquarters under the Azovstal plant in Ukraine, where they produce biological weapons?!

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

Claim : Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal Exposed!

People are sharing schematics of a secret NATO headquarters under the Azovstal plant, where they claim biological weapons are being produced in Ukraine.

It was actively promoted by Russian political scientist, Sergei Markov, Russia Today, and several Italian TV channels including PiazzaPulita on La7 and Rai 1, as well as the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Online posts often included this long story, which is rather long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts.

What is the secret of Azovstal? In Mariupel there is a secret building with a depth of 30 m underground and on multiple floors.

This building is located under the Azovstal plant, which includes the secret headquarters of the North Atlantic, with the code number (pit_404). For the production of biological weapons, within a highly fortified and protected system, in which 240 foreign scientists of different nationalities are present.

In addition to a number of NATO officers from America…

Germany, Canada, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Sweden, Austria, Poland, Greece, and soldiers from the French Fifth Corps.

They are protected by the Rinat Azov battalion, which is the most dangerous battalion in the Nazi army. They are all professional killers, snipers and … criminals who cannot leave Ukraine, as they are wanted in most countries of the world for many crimes, and they are 3000 fighters.

This headquarters is run by the Metabiota Corporation of Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and his direct partner, Vladimir Zelensky.

French intelligence tried to evacuate those in special operations, but they failed many times, which led to the release of French intelligence chief Eric Vida from his position as a result of this chain failure.

They assigned the task to the American General Roger Cloute … so his helicopter was shot down before taking off and he was arrested, as he was under follow-up from the GRU in the General Staff and the Russian Foreign Intelligence.

Macron tried a lot to communicate with Putin to secure a safe passage for them, but they were refused and..

Putin’s insistence on bringing them alive or dead. We have a sequel after their arrest…

Show less

Truth : There Is No Secret NATO Headquarters Under Azovstal!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and shared by not only pro-Russia activists, but also the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Here are the facts behind the two viral schematics, and why this is just fake news…

Fact #1 : Azovstal Plant Complex Was Created By Soviet Union

The massive Azovstal plant complex was created in the 1930s, as a priority construction project by the Soviet Union.

They spent 292 million rubles to create the massive steel plant complex that would be capable of producing 4 million tons of pig iron a year.

That target was partly demanded by Soviet leaders to beat the Americans whose Gary steel plant was “only” capable of smelting 3 million tons a year.

Fact #2 : Azovstal Bunkers Were Built By Soviet Union

The fake news creators used this infographic from the Daily Mail UK as “evidence” that the Azovstal tunnels were created by NATO.

Ironically, the infographic specifically pointed out that the bunkers and tunnels under the Azovstal plant complex were built by the Soviet Union, to “safeguard the steel plant’s 40,000 workers in the event of a nuclear attack”.

These bunkers and tunnels were built many decades earlier by the Soviet Union, not NATO.

Credit : Daily Mail UK

Fact #3 : No Evidence Of NATO Facility Called PIT-404

There is no evidence of any NATO facility called PIT-404 ever existed.

The fabulous fact checkers at MythDetector.ge did a great job of tracing the origin of this PIT-404 claim to an April 4, 2022 post in the Russian forum, strategium.ru.

In that post, a user called sojnyshkotanya claimed that there is a bio-laboratory under Azovstal, and mentioned PIT several times in reference to Azovstal.

sojnyshkotanya also noted that the best route for the evacuation of Western officials from that facility is from Mariupol to Samsun – a distance of 404 miles.

That was the most likely origin of the name and story of the mysterious PIT-404 underground NATO facility that produces biological weapons.

Fact #4 : PIT-404 Schematic Was From A Board Game!

The image that people are sharing as the PIT-404 NATO facility schematic was actually taken from a board game called Blackout: Journey into Darkness by Richard T. Boardwater.

This board game was pitched on Kickstarter in 2016 as a game for 1-4 people who try to survive in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by monsters, where humans now have to survive in bunkers.

You can see its bunker graphic under the Beneath The Surface section of their Kickstarter pitch), with the following description :

Beneath the crumbling cities, a vast network of subterranean pathways exists. These vast underground chambers are vital to the Brood’s survival. With these tunnels, The Brood emerged to feed on mankind after the great fall. It is these same tunnels they continue to thrive unmolested. Many of the nomadic Unification kill teams have attempted to cleanse these zones but all have been unsuccessful, for the network beneath the surface is vast.

Doesn’t sound like a NATO facility, does it?

The game ultimately didn’t achieve its fundraising goal and was not greenlit, but its bunker design has now found everlasting fame as the (non-existent) PIT-404 NATO facility in the fevered dreams of Russian and Chinese conspiracy theorists.

Fact #5 : PiazzaPulita Admitted Their Mistake

On 22 April 2022, PiazzaPulita admitted that they were wrong to claim that the Blackout bunker schematic was of the Azovstal steel factory bunkers.

As far as I can tell, Sergei Markov – the Russian political scientist and former Putin advisor – has yet to admit his mistake…

Fact #6 : Metabiota Is Not Owned By Hunter Biden Or Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The fake story claimed that “this headquarters is run by the Metabiota Corporation of Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and his direct partner, Volodymyr Zelensky“. That’s utter nonsense.

Metabiota is a private company owned by 21 venture capitalist companies, one of which is Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners – a private equity firm partly owned by Hunter Biden.

So no, Metabiota is not owned by Hunter Biden. Neither is it owned by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The fact that the fake news creators got the name Volodymyr wrong, suggests that they are not Russian. Quite likely, this fake news was created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Fact #7 : French General Eric Vidaud Failed To Predict Russian Invasion

French General Eric Vidaud was fired at the end of March 2022 for failing to predict Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – in sharp contrast with other Western Allies.

Vidaud, who led the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DRM) was asked to step down, after an internal defence ministry investigation criticised “insufficient briefings” and “failure to master the issues”.

The fact that the fake news creators got the name Vidaud wrong, suggests that they are not Russian. Quite likely, this fake news was created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Left : Gen. Eric Vidaud | Right : Lt. Gen. Roger L. Cloutier

Fact #8 : US General Roger Cloutier Jr. Was Not Captured

US Lieutenant General Roger L. Cloutier Jr. was not shot down in his helicopter, and captured by Russian forces in Mariupol.

A NATO spokesperson, Brian Andries said that Cloutier is currently commanding NATO Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey and has not been to Ukraine since July 2021.

The fact that the fake news creators got the name Cloutier wrong, suggests that they are not Russian. Quite likely, this fake news was created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

Variants of this FAKE NEWS are now being shared in pro-Russia and pro-CCP websites.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article 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.

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Did 10 Countries Cancel All COVID-19 Tests + Vaccinations?

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Did 10 countries just cancel all COVID-19 tests, quarantine procedures and vaccinations?

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

Claim : 10 Countries Cancelled All COVID-19 Tests + Vaccinations!

This is the first part of a viral message, that appears to be combined from two different viral messages. Read part two.

It claims that 10 countries just cancelled all COVID-19 tests, quarantine procedures and vaccinations, because they now consider COVID-19 to be “just a seasonal flu”.

The following countries announced the cancellation of all quarantine procedures, Corona tests, and compulsory vaccination, and considering Corona just a seasonal flu:

1) Turkey 🇹🇷
2) Brazil 🇧🇷
3) Britain 🇬🇧
4) Sweden 🇸🇪
5) Spain 🇪🇸
6) Czech Republic 🇨🇿
7) Mexico 🇲🇽
8) El Salvador 🇸🇻
9) Japan 🇯🇵
10) Singapore 🇸🇬

Truth : Those Countries Did NOT Cancel COVID-19 Tests / Vaccinations!

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

Fact #1 : None Of Those Countries Cancelled COVID-19 Tests

None of the ten countries mentioned in the viral message cancelled any requirement to test for COVID-19.

Turkey : Travellers must submit negative PCR test taken 72 hours before arrival. Proof of vaccination or negative PCR test within last 48 hours is required to enter certain venues in Turkey. Symptomatic people in Turkey are tested for COVID-19.

Brazil : Travellers must test negative for COVID-19 within 24 hours (RTK) or 72 hours (PCR) before boarding.

Britain : Travellers who are not fully vaccinated must take a COVID-19 test within 2 days before departure, or on arrival in England. Negative COVID-19 tests are still required to enter certain venues in Wales and Scotland.

Sweden : Travellers must be fully-vaccinated or show a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before arrival in Sweden.

Spain : Travellers must be fully-vaccinated or show a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours (PCR) or 48 hours (RAT) before arrival.

Czech Republic : Travellers must present a negative COVID-19 test, irrespective of vaccination status.

Mexico : Travellers were never required to undergo a COVID-19 test.

El Salvador : Travellers were no longer required to present a negative COVID-19 test since 17 November 2021,

Japan : Travellers (including citizens) must submit a negative test result within 72 hours prior to departure.

Singapore : Travellers must submit a negative test result within 48 hours prior to departure.

Fact #2 : None Of Those Countries Cancelled COVID-19 Quarantine

Turkey : Unvaccinated travellers must undergo mandatory quarantine for up to 10 days. COVID-19 positive individuals and unvaccinated close contacts must quarantine for 7 days.

Brazil : Unvaccinated travellers must undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days. COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine for at least 7 days.

Britain : Travellers who are not fully-vaccinated must quarantine for 10 days, until 11 February 2022. After that, only those who test positive on arrival in England must quarantine. COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine for 10 days, including close contacts who are not fully-vaccinated.

Sweden : COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine at home for at least five days.

Spain : COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine at home for at least seven days.

Czech Republic : Close contacts must quarantine for 5 days. COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine for at least 5 days.

Mexico : Travellers were never required to undergo a mandatory quarantine. COVID-19 positive individuals are required to quarantine for 5-10 days.

El Salvador : El Salvador can place municipalities under special quarantine with little to no prior notice.

Japan : Even with a negative test, all travellers from countries where Omicron variant is dominant must self-quarantine for 7 days. Close contacts must quarantine for 7 days,

Singapore : Travellers must quarantine until they receive a negative result for their On-Arrival COVID-19 PCR test. COVID-19 positive individuals must quarantine for 10 days.

Fact #3 : None Of Those Countries Cancelled COVID-19 Vaccination

COVID-19 vaccinations are still continuing in all ten countries mentioned in the fake message.

In fact, most of those countries have pretty high vaccination rates :

Turkey : 62.1% fully vaccinated
Brazil : 70.4% fully vaccinated
United Kingdom : 71.9% fully vaccinated
Sweden ; 72.9% fully vaccinated
Spain : 80.8% fully vaccinated
Czech Republic : 63.3% fully vaccinated
Mexico : 59.7% fully vaccinated
El Salvador : 64.8% fully vaccinated
Japan : 79.2% fully vaccinated
Singapore : 83.6% fully vaccinated

Fact #4 : None Of Those Countries Considers COVID-19 A Seasonal Flu

While many health experts predict COVID-19 could be “endemic”, that is still not certain.

If COVID-19 becomes endemic, that means SARS-CoV-2 is is impossible to completely eradicate, and is here to stay… forever.

However, it does not mean they consider COVID-19 to be nothing more than “just a seasonal flu”.

For one thing, COVID-19 is far more deadly than the seasonal flu, even though the flu is caused by multiple viruses.

The WHO also considers COVID-19 to be a pandemic, warning that it is too early to treat it as an endemic disease.

“We still have a huge amount of uncertainty and a virus that is evolving quite quickly, imposing new challenges. We are certainly not at the point where we are able to call it endemic.”

No matter how you slice or dice it, COVID-19 is currently not close to being “just a seasonal flu”.

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

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

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Fake News : New Malaysia Travel Ban On 23 Countries!

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Please note that the new travel ban by Malaysia on 23 countries with high COVID-19 cases is FAKE NEWS!

Here is what you need to know!

Claim : Malaysia Travel Ban On 23 Countries!

On 7 January 2022, people started sharing a screenshot of a travel advisory by the Embassy of Malaysia in Berlin, Germany.

Please skip to the next section for the facts…

Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin

TRAVEL ADVISORY
ENTRY RESTRICTIONS ON FOREIGN TRAVELERS TO MALAYSIA

Effective from 08 January 2022, the Government of Malaysia is imposing travel restrictions into Malaysia on foreign travellers who are travelling from countries that have recorded over 150,000 COVID-19 cases as listed below:

United States of America
The United Kingdom
Brazil
Bangladesh
India
Saudi Arabia
Russia
Pakistan
Peru
France
Colombia
Turkey
South Africa
Italy
Mexico
Germany
Spain
Iraq
Argentina
The Philippines
Chile
Indonesia
Iran

The entry restrictions include travellers who are citizens of/holders of long-term passes of the countries listed above who are residing in or travelling from those countries.

The latest decision is part of continuing efforts by the Government of Malaysia to contain the spread of COVID-19 and in view of the recent increase in the number of imported COVID-19 cases detected at international points of entry to Malaysia among travellers coming from the listed countries. The restriction is a temporary measure and will be reviewed regularly.

Show less

Truth : There Is No Such Travel Ban!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS being created and circulated on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the facts…

Fact #1 : This Travel Advisory Was Forged

This travel advisory was forged from the original September 2020 travel advisory.

Back then, the government of Malaysia announced the temporary travel ban on those 23 countries, that would start on 7 September 2021.

The original travel advisory was edited, with the new date added to make it look like it’s new. But it was a very poor photo-editing job.

If you look carefully, the 08 January 2022, date is not only in bold , but of a different type of font and a much larger size.

Note : Here is the screenshot that went viral. I added a FAKE overlay to prevent further abuse.

Fact #2 : Embassy of Malaysia In Berlin Confirms It Is Fake

The Embassy of Berlin in Malaysia confirmed that the viral travel advisory is FAKE.

ANNOUNCEMENT

The Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin would like to warn the public that there has been a fake news being circulated regarding travel advisory by the Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin on entry restriction on foreign travelers [sic] to Malaysia.

We condemn the actions of those who maliciously spread fake news which can have an adverse effect and concern to the public. The public is advice [sic] to validate the source before circulating any news.

Thank you.

Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin
7 January 2022

Fact #3 : Malaysia Currently Has No Travel Ban

There is currently no travel ban in Malaysia.

In fact, Malaysia just ended a temporary travel ban of 8 countries, on 27 December 2021, due to the risk of Omicron variant.

There is currently only a list of 18 countries that are considered high-risk due to the Omicron variant.

Australia
The United States of America
The United Kingdom
Norway
France
Denmark
Canada
Nigeria
India
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
Botswana
Eswatini
Lesotho
Mozambique
Namibia
Zimbabwe
Malawi

Travellers from those 18 high-risk countries can still travel to Malaysia, but they must comply with the following additional restrictions :

Negative COVID-19 PCR test within 2 days before departure
COVID-19 PCR test on arrival in Malaysia
Wear a digital tracker on arrival in Malaysia
Mandatory quarantine of 7 days or 10 days, depending on vaccination status, either at home or at a quarantine centre, subject to approval.
Additional PCR test on Day 5 (for 7-day quarantine) or Day 8 (for 10-day quarantine).
Risk assessment on the last day of quarantine, which may be extended if you are symptomatic.
You will only be free from the quarantine on Day 8 or Day 11, if there is no quarantine extension and the Day 5 or Day 8 PCR test is negative.
Travellers from the United Kingdom have the additional requirement of conducting daily RTK-Ag tests during their quarantine, which must be reported in MySejahtera.

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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.

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