Tag Archives: Vehicle

Did Kamala Harris paralyse girl in 2011 hit-and-run accident?!

Did Kamala Harris paralyse a 13 year-old girl in a 2011 hit-and-run accident?! Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Kamala Harris paralysed girl in 2011 hit-and-run accident!

Some people are sharing a video and/or an article which claim that Kamala Harris paralysed a 13 year-old girl in a 2011 hit-and-run accident!

Jen X : 🚨 In June 2011, Kamala Harris allegedly struck two pedestrians in San Francisco and fled the scene leaving a 13 years old girl paralyzed. Alisha Brown, a victim, claims Harris’ team intimidated her mother to keep silent. Story surfaced after her mother’s death in 2024.

K.D. : Kamala Harris hit a woman then fled the scene in 2011. This was buried to cover up for her felony hit and run that left a woman paralyzed SMH~!

Truth Patriot : 🚨 Kamala Harris’s Hit-and-Run Cover-Up: The Scandal Erupts 🚨

Back in 2011, Kamala Harris, now our Vice President, allegedly struck a 13-year-old girl with her car, leaving the scene like a ghost in the night. But here’s where it gets spicier – the girl, now wheelchair-bound, claims Harris’s team didn’t just leave her there; they allegedly intimidated her family into silence. #JusticeForVictims #KamalaCoverUp

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https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Fake-KBSF-TV-Kamala-Harris-car-accident-video-small.mp4?_=1

Truth : Kamala Harris did not paralyse girl in 2011 hit-and-run accident!

With help from Shayan Sardarizadeh of BBC Verify, we can confirm that this is another example of fake news created about Kamala Harris, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : KBSF appears to be a fake website

Let me start by pointing out that the article and video (archive) by KBSF – San Francisco News is fake.

First of all, there is no TV station by the name KBSF in San Francisco, or anywhere else in the United States for the matter.

In addition, the website itself is brand new – its domain – kbsf-tv.com, was only registered on 20 August 2024, at around 9:13 PM Zulu Time (UTC). The ownership of the website domain is also being “redacted for privacy” – which is common with scam or fake websites.

According to Shayan Sardarizadeh of BBC Verify, KBSF – San Francisco News has all the hallmarks of AI-powered fake news websites set up by Mosc0w-based John Mark Dougan, who is a former Florida police officer.

Fact #2 : Accident photo was taken in 2018

The cover photo, which purportedly shows the scene of the hit-and-run accident, wasn’t taken in 2011, or in San Francisco for the matter.

That photo was actually taken on Wednesday, 17 January 2018, on Route 10 in Mangilao, Guam. The 59 year-old driver struck an 81 year-old man, who later died at the hospital.

Fact #3 : Article confuses victim’s name

The KBSF article twice named victim / whistleblower as Alisha Brown, but later changed it to Alicia Brown. The video itself labels the victim as Alicia Brown.

Fact #4 : X-ray photos are not from car accident

As “evidence”, the video showed two X-ray photos, purportedly showing the injuries that Alisha / Alicia Brown suffered after being hit by Kamala Harris in 2011. The truth is – those X-ray photos were taken from medical research journals.

The first is an x-ray image taken on 4 February 2009, and shows rib fractures in a 58 year-old man suffering from Cronkhite-Canada syndrome.

The second x-ray image shows a Type C pelvic ring injure in a 12 year-old girl, that was posted online in the Journal of Children’s Orthopaedics on 1 February 2017.

Obviously, both x-ray images had nothing to do with any hit-and-run accident involving Kamala Harris, or a 13 year-old girl called Alicia / Alisha Brown.

Fact #5 : This is just political fake news

Ultimately, this is yet another example of political fake news surrounding the upcoming 2024 US Presidential election. Here are some other examples I fact checked recently:

As the 2024 US Presidential election draws close, you can expect more of such fake news to appear, so be wary and skeptical!

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

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Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

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

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Are the Mongols riding to Colorado to battle Venezuelan gangs?!

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Are Mongols MC bikers riding to Aurora, Colorado, to fight against Venezuelan gangs?! Take a look at the viral claims and videos, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : The Mongols are riding to Colorado to battle Venezuelan gangs!

Some people are sharing videos which apparently shows Mongols MC bikers heading to Aurora, Colorado, to fight against Venezuelan gangs, with the Hells Angels!

Matt Wallace : Rumors are circulating that the Hells Angels & Mongols are heading to Colorado TO DEAL WITH THE ILLEGAL VENEZUELAN GANGS ⚠️

THEY ARE F*CKED 😳

RyGuy : Reportedly this is a convoy of the Hells Angels, the Mongols and other biker bands, banded together to take on the Venezuelan gangs in Aurora Co 🍿🍿🍿

IcedOutlan : JUST IN 🚨: Reports showing Hells Angels & Mongols driving to Colorado to fuck up illegal Venezuelan gangs! #HellsAngels

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Truth : The Mongols are not riding to Colorado to battle Venezuelan gangs!

This appears to be an example of fake news circulating on X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This video shows the Mongols Victory Ride in 2010

This video clip does not show the Mongols MC bikers heading to Aurora, Colorado to fight against the Venezuelan gangs.

It actually shows the Mongols Victory Ride in 2010 (over 13 years ago!), after the Mongols Motorcycle Club won its legal case against the Department of Justice and the ATF.

The Mongols Victory Ride took place over 10 days – from 30 July until 8 August 2010, and covered four states:

July 30 : Mongols Victory Ride began in Los Angeles, California
August 1 : The Mongols stopped at Las Vegas, Nevada
August 3 : The Mongols continued to Denver, Colorado
August 8 : The Victory Ride concluded at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota

The viral video clip circulating on TikTok appears to be edited from the original video that was posted by the Mongols MC on its official YouTube channel on 3 October 2010.

Bizarrely, the first part of the video was flipped horizontally from the original video, so the bikers appear to be riding on the left side of the road. This may have been done to make it more difficult for fact checkers to identify the original video.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Mongols-heading-to-Aurora-Colorado-to-fight-Venezuelan-gangs-fake-video-01.mp4?_=2

Fact #2 : This video was posted in 2022

This video most definitely does not show Mongols MC bikers on their way to Aurora, Colorado, to “help clean up the Apartments”.

It appears to have been digitally altered from an earlier video, which was posted by @pysssh on TikTok, on 6 November 2022 (archive), with the caption – Republicans ROARING to go vite [sic] Nov 8th!!!

It is unknown when that video was taken, and it does not appear to be related to the 2022 US midterm elections. But it is most certainly not a Mongols MC event, based on the casual clothes of some of the bikers, and the lack of Mongols MC patches.

A man can also be seen wearing a Susquehanna Valley Harley-Davidson t-shirt, while another is seen wearing a Harley-Davidson vest.

A Sidecarddog Riley booth can be seen at the back of this bike rally. The first available videos of Sidecarddog Riley show him at the Ocean City Bike Fest in Maryland, but the video does not seem to be taken in Ocean City. In fact, three bikes with readily visible number plates appear to be registered in Pennsylvania.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Hells-Angels-heading-to-Aurora-Colorado-to-fight-Venezuelan-gangs-fake-video-03.mp4?_=3

Fact #3 : This video was recorded in Brazil

This video does not show Mongols MC bikers heading to Aurora, Colorado, to fight against Venezuelan gang members either.

This video appears to be originally posted by @robertoguedesjr on TikTok on 7 July 2024 – over a month before the Aurora gang takeover video went viral.

While I cannot yet determine where it was actually recorded, you can see three police vehicles escorting the bikers, and they all have the words Policia printed on them. They appear to be São Paulo State Highway Police vehicles escorting Brazilian bikers.

In short, this video was recorded several weeks earlier in Brazil, not the United States.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Hells-Angels-heading-to-Aurora-Colorado-to-fight-Venezuelan-gangs-fake-video-05.mp4?_=4

Fact #4 : Aurora PD established a special task force to tackle the gangs

For those who are not sure what the fuss is about, here’s a quick summary of what’s going on in Aurora, Colorado.

On August 28, 2024, surveillance footage of a shooting incident that happened 10 days earlier at The Edge – an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, went viral. It showed young men with handguns and at least one automatic rifle breaking doors in, and barging their way into the apartment units. In another video, gunshots rang out as people called to their loved ones.

The Edge was one of three apartment buildings that are allegedly being terrorised by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA). However, Interim Aurora Police Chief Heather Morris said in an interview that officers found no evidence of a gang takeover:

We’ve been talking to the residents here and learning from them to find out what exactly is going on. And there’s definitely a different picture. I’m not saying that there’s not gang members that don’t live in this community, but what we’re learning out here is that gang members have not taken over this complex.

In any case, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said that the city is seeking an emergency court order to shut down those apartment buildings, and the Aurora Police Department has established a “special task force” in collaboration with local, state, and federal partners to handle the situation.

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

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

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

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

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

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Are Hells Angels heading to Aurora to fight Venezuelan gangs?!

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Are Hells Angels bikers now heading to Aurora, Colorado, to fight Venezuelan gangs?! Take a look at the viral claims and videos, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2024-09-02 : Added another video
Originally posted @ 2024-09-01

Claim : Hells Angels are heading to Aurora to fight Venezuelan gangs!

Some people are sharing videos which apparently shows Hells Angels bikers heading to Aurora, Colorado, to fight Venezuelan gangs!

TaraBull : BREAKING: Multiple reports and videos on social media suggest the Hells Angels are heading to Aurora Colorado. Failed leadership has consequences

Juanita Broaddrick : Holy crap. Bikers on way to Aurora, Colorado. Is this real? One sure way to get cops to Finally get involved.

We Have It All : There’s gonna be some sh!t going down in Colorado! Democrats crapped all over this state. We’re not having it. Time to clean it up.
🚨To ANY illegal gangs acting like asshats this is your final warning‼️
Better run better run better run!!!!! Hells Angels are coming for you.

We Have It All : Oooohweeee! I don’t think the Venezuelan gangs have a clue what’s about to hit them🤭

Gunther Eagleman : Sht is getting real…!

Angry Citizen : #BREAKING #Aurora Allegedly all Branches of the Outlaws ((81)hellsangels)
Are heading to Aurora to deal with the problem #GANGWAR

richflood22 : Aurora, Colorado, some friends are coming#hellsangels #aurora #Colorado ##gangs

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Truth : Hells Angels are not heading to Aurora to fight Venezuelan gangs!

This appears to be an example of fake news circulating on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : This video shows the Rolling Thunder protest

This video clip does not show Hells Angels heading to Aurora, Colorado on 31 August 2024. Neither does it show Hells Angels heading to Milwaukee in July 2024, as other people have alleged (example).

The original video clip was actually recorded in Canada, sometime in April 2022 – more than 2 years ago, as a convoy of motorcyclists headed to Ottawa for the 2022 Rolling Thunder protest ride.

The original clip was posted on TikTok by @bidmartcanada (but appears to have been removed) but it is still available on TikTok (here) and was also featured in this CTV News video on 25 April 2022.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Hells-Angels-heading-to-Aurora-Colorado-to-fight-Venezuelan-gangs-fake-video-01.mp4?_=5

Fact #2 : This video was recorded a year ago

This video was edited to claim that the Hells Angels bikers were going to, or are already at, Aurora, Colorado, in August 2024. That’s not true.

The original video was posted by @johnwauto on 17 August 2023 – a year ago. It showed bikers riding through Main Street of Sturgis, South Dakota.

It is unknown if those bikers were from Hells Angels. But why is certain is that they were in Sturgis for the 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which ran for 10 days from 4-13 August.

To be clear – those bikers were there for a good time, not to trade fists and gunfire with Venezuelan gang members in Aurora, Colorado!

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Hells-Angels-heading-to-Aurora-Colorado-to-fight-Venezuelan-gangs-fake-video-02.mp4?_=6

Fact #3 : This video was posted in 2022

This video most definitely does not show Hells Angels bikers on their way to Aurora, Colorado, to “help clean up the Apartments”.

It is unknown when that video was taken, and it does not appear to be related to the 2022 US midterm elections. But it is most certainly not a Hells Angels event, based on the casual clothes of some of the bikers, and the lack of Hells Angels patches.

A man can also be seen wearing a Susquehanna Valley Harley-Davidson t-shirt, while another is seen wearing a Harley-Davidson vest.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Hells-Angels-heading-to-Aurora-Colorado-to-fight-Venezuelan-gangs-fake-video-03.mp4?_=7

Fact #4 : These bikers are from Survivors Motorcycle Club

This video does not show Hells Angels bikers heading to Aurora, Colorado, to fight against Venezuelan gang members. They are from the Survivors MC – a motorcycle club dedicated to combating addiction.

The video was originally posted by @aliens_are_purple on 31 August 2024, with hashtags like #cleanandsober, #soberlife, and #getyourmindright

He also shared in a later video that they had already arrived at the venue (which is obviously not Aurora in Colorado), and had a little barbecue, and explained that the 4-day road trip was to raise money for a good cause.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Hells-Angels-heading-to-Aurora-Colorado-to-fight-Venezuelan-gangs-fake-video-04.mp4?_=8

Fact #5 : This video was recorded in Brazil

This video does not show Hells Angels bikers heading to Aurora, Colorado, to fight against Venezuelan gang members either.

This video appears to be originally posted by @robertoguedesjr on TikTok on 7 July 2024 – over a month before the Aurora gang takeover video went viral.

In short, this video was recorded several weeks earlier in Brazil, not the United States.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Hells-Angels-heading-to-Aurora-Colorado-to-fight-Venezuelan-gangs-fake-video-05.mp4?_=9

Fact #6 : These do not appear to be Hells Angels bikers

This video was allegedly taken by @sp500_trades, who posted it on X (archive) saying “Can confirm. #HellsAngels headed to Aurora, CO!”

He said that he recorded the video on Highway 64, near the Arkansas-Oklahoma border, on the afternoon of August 30, 2024 (archive, archive). Apparently, it was a long convoy of bikes followed by some repair vans, headed west on Highway 64.

However, if you look closely, you can see that it’s an eclectic convoy of motorcycles and trikes in a staggered formation. The Hells Angels ride in a tight paired formation, and they do not ride trikes. So those are unlikely to be Hells Angels bikers.

In addition, you can see that shadows appear on the left side of the bikers, which suggest that the bikers are heading south. If they were headed west, they would be riding with the sun in their face, not to their right.

Of course, the highway may have curved south when this video was recorded, and the bikers are headed west to Colorado. After all, there was a biker rally in Durango, Colorado from 29 August to 1 September. But what is clear is that those are not Hells Angels bikers.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Hells-Angels-heading-to-Aurora-Colorado-to-fight-Venezuelan-gangs-fake-video-06.mp4?_=10

Fact #7 : Aurora PD established a special task force to tackle the gangs

For those who are not sure what the fuss is about, here’s a quick summary of what’s going on in Aurora, Colorado.

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

Please Support My Work!

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

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

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

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

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Did Cristiano Ronaldo just die suddenly in tragic car crash?!

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Did football legend Cristiano Ronaldo just die suddenly in a tragic car accident?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2024-08-26 : Added a fact check video and new updates.
Updated @ 2024-03-21 : Added new updates, including a new photo.
Originally posted @ 2023-04-18

Claim : Cristiano Ronaldo just died suddenly in tragic car crash!

People are claiming on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and social media that football legend Cristiano Ronaldo just died suddenly in a tragic car accident, with photos of the car accident and his funeral procession!

YouTube : Cristiano ronaldo no more || ronaldo death || UR Cristiano || cristiano ronaldo || ronaldo || death

TikTok : Fallece CR7 Triste Noticia (CR7 Passes Away Sad News)

YouTube : CRISTIANO RONALDO DEAD IN CAR ACCIDENT

YouTube : 10 minutes ago / Cristiano ronaldo Death | Sad News | RIP Cristiano Ronaldo

YouTube : He died #cr7 #cristiano #cristianoronaldo

myricebowl : CR7 DIED | CR7 dies in a car crash and the other car flees the scene

nolfi : cr7 is dead. RIP 😭😭😭😭

Good Bye Cristiano ronaldo | Rip Cristiano

Rip #fyp #ronaldo #cristianoronaldo #rip #sad #viral #blowthisup #foryoupage #cr7

He’s dead 🥶☠️ #ronaldo #football #fyp #foryou #soccer

Very Sad News 10 minutes ago! Cristiano Ronaldo Super star Food ball CR7 lost his life in a car accident in Portugal

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Truth : Cristiano Ronaldo did not die suddenly in tragic car crash!

This is yet another example of fake news created and propagated by people to generate income from page / video views and advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Cristiano Ronaldo is still alive + well!

Cristiano Ronaldo (born Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro on 5 February 1985) is still very much alive and well, as of Monday, 26 August 2024!

Of course, you will want “proof of life”, don’t you? Well, Ronaldo posted a photo of himself on Monday, 26 August 2024, which showed him at the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia, where the host nation’s “Team Falcons” won the $7 million prize money.

Obviously, Ronaldo is not only alive, he’s very healthy.

Fact #2 : No legitimate media outlet reported Ronaldo’s death

These social media posts, as well as YouTube and Facebook videos have been circulating for months now, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported on Cristiano Ronald’s death!

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the world’s best footballers and a mega celebrity. His death would have been covered extensively by the media across the globe!

Yet, no legitimate media outlet has reported that Cristiano Ronaldo died recently from any cause. Why should you believe no-name websites, or random YouTube / Facebook / TikTok videos?

There is also the inconvenient fact that there has been no massive outpouring of grief from his millions of fans.

Fact #3 : Viral car crash photo was from 2009

The viral photo of a badly damaged car is genuine, and shows a car in which Cristiano Ronaldo drove and crashed. However, that happened 15 years ago, when the Portuguese footballer was just 23 years old!

At 10:20 am on 8 January 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo crashed his Ferrari sports car into a roadside barrier in a tunnel on the A538 Wilmslow Road near the Manchester airport, on the way to train with the Manchester United team.

The car was badly damaged, with one of the front wheels sheared off and thrown over a hundred metres away. However, Cristiano Ronaldo was not injured, and got out of his car by himself, and later went on to train that morning.

Fact #4 : Cristiano Ronaldo accident and funeral photos are fake!

Because Cristiano Ronaldo never died in a car crash or a hospital, these fake news creator have to resort to using photos from other accidents or funerals.

For example, this photo does not show a screenshot of a news report about Cristiano Ronald’s tragic car accident, in which the other car fled the scene.

The fake news creator simply used a photo from a tragic accident in the Portuguese island of Madeira, where a tour bus swerved off a winding street and tumbled down a hill, killing at least 29 people and injuring dozens of other passengers.

To make it more convincing, the fake news creator added the LIVE and BREAKING NEWS chyrons to the image. Needless to say, Cristiano Ronaldo was not onboard the tour bus. He was never there, never mind injured or killed in that April 2019 tragedy.

In this example, the fake news creator merely added an inset photo of Cristiano Ronaldo with an arrow, a crying emoji and a LIVE chyron, to a photo of the funeral procession of IRA veteran Bobby Storey, which occurred on 30 June 2020.

If you take a closer look, you will see a bagpiper and Argos – a retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. You may also notice that everyone’s white! That’s because the photo was taken in Belfast, not Portugal!

Cristiano Ronaldo is Portuguese. Why on Earth would his funeral be held in Ireland?! And why would his family want a bagpiper at his funeral?!

Fact #5 : Ronaldo death hoax is driven by fake fact check too

This Cristiano Ronaldo death hoax is, ironically, just another fake fact check article by MediaMass Project, which keeps “updating” the dates in their fake fact check article:

News of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the March 2024 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the 39-year-old footballer is alive and well.

Rumors of the footballer’s alleged demise gained traction on Sunday after a ‘R.I.P. Cristiano Ronaldo’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the Portuguese footballer’s passing:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (August 24, 2024), our beloved footballer Cristiano Ronaldo passed away. Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985 in Funchal. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 39-year-old footballer was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major Portuguese network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of a footballer of Cristiano Ronaldo’s stature would be major news across networks.

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Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Cristiano Ronaldo Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Cristiano Ronaldo’s unnamed rep confirming that he is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other reps of celebrities MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Angelina Jolie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barry Gibb, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Celine Dion, Clint Eastwood, Dolly Parton, Harrison Ford, Justine Bieber, Lionel Messi, Lucy Liu, Madonna, Melanie Laurent, Mike Tyson, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Robert Pattinson, Simon Cowell, Slyvester Stallone, Taylor Swift, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hanks.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #6 : This is just fake celebrity news

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate engagement, page views or money through advertising, just like these examples:

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

Please Support My Work!

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

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

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

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

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Did Lionel Messi die suddenly in a tragic car crash?!

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Did football legend Lionel Messi just die suddenly in a tragic car crash?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2024-08-17 : Updated with new information
Updated @ 2023-09-24 : Added video fact check and comparison!
Originally posted @ 2023-04-20

Claim : Lionel Messi died suddenly in a tragic car crash!

People are sharing TikTok and YouTube videos which claim that football legend Lionel Messi just died suddenly in a high-speed car accident, with photos of the tragic car crash!

detlokalehotel : Messi died in a car crash #messi #died #in #a #car #crash #rip #rip #ripmessi

#fyp #soccer #messi #dead rest in peace legend👑⚽️🕊️

LIONEL MESSI DIES IN UNBELIEVABLE CAR CRASH

Messi, Xavi and Christiano dead after car accident

#Rip Messie Messie❤️ respect for Messie ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️⚽️🥅
Messie the best of the world ❤️🇦🇷❤️❤️#Messie

INFO CHOC: Lionel Messi est décédé
SHOCK INFO: Lionel Messi has died

There is even an example in which people claim that Lionel Messi died after Ronaldo fans killed him outside his home:

gavixamp : #messi #death Today marks the 2 year death of footballer Lionel Messi after Ronaldo fans killed him outside his home

Truth : Lionel Messi did not die suddenly in a tragic car crash!

This is yet another example of fake news created and propagated by people to generate income from page / video views and advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No legitimate media reported Lionel Messi died

These social media posts, as well as YouTube and TikTok videos have been circulating for months now, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media outlet has reported on Lionel Messi’s death!

Lionel Messi is one of the world’s best footballer and a mega celebrity. His death would have been covered extensively by the media across the globe! And his fans would have mourned his death on social media.

Yet, no legitimate media outlet has reported that Lionel Messi died recently from any cause, never mind a tragic car accident. Neither has there been any outpouring of grief from his millions of fans.

So why should you believe no-name websites, or random YouTube / TikTok videos???

Fact #2 : Lionel Messi is still alive and well!

Lionel Messi (born Lionel Andrés Messi on 24 June 1987) is still very much alive and well, as of Saturday, 17 August 2024. He did not die in a tragic car accident. Neither was he killed by Ronaldo fans outside his home.

Of course, you want proof of life, right? What you should be asking is the proof of death when you see social media claims that some celebrity or athlete has died. But I digress…

Well, Lionel Messi himself posted a photo with his family on 12 August 2024. As you can see, not only is he very much still alive, his family looks great!

Fact #3 : This car crash photo was from 2009

To convince you that Lionel Messi died (even though he’s still alive), fake news creators had to make use of unrelated car crashes.

In this example, the video claimed that Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Cristiano Ronaldo, died in this car accident.

The truth is – that is a photo of a Ferrari 599 that crashed in October 2009, on the Great Ocean Road in southern Victoria, Australia. The driver was a 64 year-old man called Carlo Vaccari.

Mr. Vaccari lost control while driving his Ferrari 599 at 80 km/h and ploughed into two motorcyclists travelling in the opposite direction. He was convicted of careless driving, but only fined $3000.

Fact #4 : This car accident photo was posted in 2014

It is unknown when this car accident happened, but this photo was posted by WreckedExotics.com on August 13, 2014.

Apparently, the driver lost control of his Ferrari 458 Italia while trying to overtake another car, and crashed into a trash bin. The driver left the scene of the accident, possibly under the influence of drugs / alcohol.

Even though this incident happened in Madrid, Spain, this photo is old and has nothing to do with Lionel Messi.

Fact #5 : This tragic car crash occurred In 2012

This photo does not show Lionel Messi’s fatal car crash. This accident actually occurred at around 9 PM on 1 September 2012, at the E42 highway near Francorchamps in Belgium.

The driver was a 63 year-old man from Saint-Ghislain, and was obviously not Lionel Messi.

Fact #6 : Lionel Messi death hoax is driven by fake fact check too

This Lionel Messi death hoax is, ironically, also fuelled by MediaMass Project, which keeps “updating” the dates in its fake fact check article:

News of footballer Lionel Messi’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the January 2024 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the 37-year-old footballer is alive and well.

Rumors of the footballer’s alleged demise gained traction on Sunday after a ‘R.I.P. Lionel Messi’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the Argentine footballer’s passing:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Thursday (August 15, 2024), our beloved footballer Lionel Messi passed away. Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 36-year-old footballer was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

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Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Lionel Messi Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Lionel Messi’s unnamed rep confirming that he is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other celebrities whose reps MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Angelina Jolie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barry Gibb, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Celine Dion, Clint Eastwood, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dolly Parton, Harrison Ford, Justine Bieber, Lucy Liu, Madonna, Melanie Laurent, Mike Tyson, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Robert Pattinson, Simon Cowell, Slyvester Stallone, Taylor Swift, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hanks.

He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #7 : This is just fake celebrity news!

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate page views and money through advertising, just like these examples:

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Were over 1,000 military vehicles sent to protect Xi Jinping?!

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Did the PLA deploy over 1,000 military vehicles to protect Chinese President Xi Jinping?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Over 1,000 Military Vehicles Sent To Protect Xi Jinping!

Some people are claiming or suggesting that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sent over 1,000 military vehicles to protect Chinese President Xi Jinping during the CCP’s Third Plenary Session in Beijing!

It has even been suggested that those PLA military vehicles were sent because Xi Jinping suffered a stroke!

Jennifer Zeng : According to former Chinese journalist @uyunistar, over 1000 military vehicles were seen driving south from Wenzhou City in Zhejiang Province in China early this morning.

Not sure what is happening, or whether it is related to the rumor that Xi Jinping just had a stroke at the CCP’s Third Plenary Session yesterday, which I talked about here.

赵兰健［Lanjian Zhao］ (translated) : [Thousands of military vehicles: Wenzhou appeared and drove south]
[Strange Weapon: Specifically Designed to Suppress the People]
At the Third Plenum, in order to defend Xi Jinping, the army has been fully armed to deal with petitioners. In the early morning of July 16, more than 1,000 military vehicles drove through Wenzhou. I was seen by the public and reported to me, and I hope to provide information for all netizens.

The Chinese army has gone beyond Hitler’s SS, and now it has become Xi’s army.

China is the only country in the world that uses the military to suppress its own people.

Darth Dawg Jar : [Thousands of military vehicles: appeared in Wenzhou and headed south] [Weird weapons: specially used to suppress the people] The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee: In order to protect Xi Jinping 👀

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No Evidence Over 1,000 Military Vehicles Sent To Protect Xi Jinping!

This appears to be yet another example of fake news circulating on social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Claim Was Based On Unverified Third Party Report

Let me start by pointing out that this claim appears to be based on a single, unverified report by a third party to citizen journalist Zhao Lanjian (archive).

Apparently, he received a message from someone reporting that his friend claimed to have seen more than a thousand vehicles crossing the Oujiang River in Wenzhou:

惊天！我朋友说今凌晨温州瓯江边开过一千多辆军车大致往南边开

Shocking! My friend said that more than a thousand military vehicles drove past the Oujiang River in Wenzhou early this morning, heading roughly south.

…我问了军分区朋友，他是说为了三中全会的调度，估计是维稳。

… I asked a friend in the military sub-district, and he said it was for the the Third Plenary Session [of the 20th CPC Central Committee], probably to maintain stability.

As you can tell – the person reporting did not actually see those military vehicles. He was only telling Zhao that his friend saw many military vehicles crossing the Oujiang River.

In addition – there has been no corroboration of what was reported. No one else reported these PLA military vehicles, or what they were actually doing.

Fact #2 : Vehicle Does Not Belong To PLA

Zhao Lanjian shared a photo of a futuristic-looking vehicle with his post, appearing to suggest that it was one of the military vehicles crossing the Oujiang River, and headed south.

However, that photo was taken on 27 October 2022 – almost two years ago, and that particular vehicle was located over 2,700 kilometres away in the Qinghai province! It is also not a PLA military vehicle.

That is the Sanneng 8×8 riot control vehicle, whose design was “inspired” by the RT-01 Transport – a fictional vehicle from the 2012 movie Prometheus. This particular vehicle belongs to the Wulan County Public Security Bureau in the Qinghai province.

A similar Sanneng 8×8 riot control vehicle was also donated by the city of Huzhou in Zhejiang to the public security department of Ulan County, also in the Qinghai province.

It is said to be an electric vehicle (EV), with electric motors powering the rear axles, and is protected by bulletproof body panels. It has a camera on the roof, and can carry up to 8 fully-armed SWAT officers (source, source).

It is unknown how many Sanneng 8×8 riot control vehicles exist in China. Regardless of how many of these vehicles actually exist in China, what is certain is that they are owned and operated by Chinese police forces, and not the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Fact #3 : Vehicle Photo Is Old

Interestingly, the message screenshot appear to show that the person who reported the vehicles to Zhao Lanjian did not actually take any photo of the convoy of over 1,000 military vehicles:

Zhao : There are no pictures (没有任何图吧)

Unknown : Correct. None. (对• 没有)

Instead, the person apparently provided that photo of the Sanneng 8×8 vehicle which he claimed he took during Speaker Nancy Pelosi’ visit to Taiwan, when he allegedly saw about 200-300 of such vehicles.

However, I should point out that Speaker Pelosi visited Taiwan on 2 August 2022, but that particular photo appears to have been taken sometime in May 2023 (source, source) – about 9 months later. Even the earliest official showcase of this vehicle happened in November 2022 (source) – 3 months after Nancy Pelosi’s visit.

The photo also shows a solitary Sanneng 8×8 vehicle, and not a convoy of 200-300 of these vehicles.

Fact #4 : Xi Jinping Did Not Suffer A Stroke

Falun Gong practitioner and writer Jennifer Zeng appears to believe that the PLA military movement might be related to the “rumor that Xi Jinping just had a stroke at the CCP’s Third Plenary Session“.

Well, that rumour proved to be false after the Chinese Communist Party concluded its Third Plenary Session, and issued an official communique which called for the whole CCP, the Chinese military, and the Chinese people to “stay closely rallied around the Party… with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core”.

Obviously, that can only happen if Xi Jinping isn’t incapacitated or dead from a stroke.

Fact #5 : No Reports Of Military Vehicles Clogging Beijing

Even a hundred military vehicles would have been quite a sight in Beijing, never mind over a thousand of them. All those vehicles would also have caused massive traffic jams in Beijing.

Yet, there have been no media or social media reports about large numbers of military vehicles in Beijing.

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BUDI MADANI Step-By-Step Registration Guide!

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Find out how to register for the BUDI MADANI diesel fuel subsidy initiative in our step-by-step guide!

BUDI MADANI Registration For Diesel Subsidy

On 22 May 2024, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government will cut diesel subsidies in Peninsular Malaysia, with Sabah and Sarawak spared as the use of diesel vehicles is widespread in those states.

Cutting this diesel subsidy is expected to save the government about RM4 billion (about US$850 million a year) – or about 0.2% of its GDP, and help to achieve the goal of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) to reduce the debt level so that it does not exceed 60% of the GDP, with a fiscal deficit of between 3.5% and 3% by 2025.

Instead of providing a direct subsidy of diesel fuel, Malaysia has announced a new diesel subsidy scheme called BUDI MADANI, which is much more limited, and targeted.

BUDI MADANI : Step-by-Step Registration Guide

In this guide, we will go through the BUDI MADANI registration process, and show you how to do it.

Step 1 : Go to the BUDI MADANI account registration page, which is also its login page. This is confusing, but don’t worry about it.

Step 2 : Key in your MyKad number, and click on the Semak button.

Recommended : Bantuan Tambahan RM1000 Scam Alert!

Step 3 : A notice will pop-up, informing you that your MyKad number is not found in the BUDI MADANI system. You are then given the option to register for an account.

Step 4 : Click on the Daftar Akaun (Register Account) button.

Step 5 : In the BUDI MADANI registration page, you will need to key in these details:

MyKad number
Full name
Email address

Step 6 : Enter a safety phrase that only you will know. Make it something short and easy to remember, like Show me the money!

This safety phrase will appear whenever you log into BUDI MADANI in the future, allowing you to verify that you are not logging into a fake, phishing website.

Step 7 : Key in a password that must be at least 8 digits / characters long, and must consist of a mix of numbers, small and capital letters, and symbols.

Step 8 : Once you are done, click on the Daftar (Register) button.

Step 9 : A pop-up will appear, informing you that you have successfully registered for a BUDI MADANI account. You should immediately receive an email.

You will now need to check your email account (the one you keyed in above), for the BUDI MADANI confirmation email.

Please verify that the email came from budimadani@hasil.gov.my, and that it was sent right after you register for the account.

Once you are sure it is a legitimate email, click on the link inside the confirmation email, to verify your email address and activate your BUDI MADANI account.

Step 10 : Clicking on the link should lead you to the login page. If it does not, simply go to the BUDI MADANI login page again, and key in your MyKad number.

Step 11 : This time, you will be shown your safety phrase. Click Ya (Yes) to confirm that it is the safety phrase you registered, or Tidak (No) if it’s the wrong safety phrase.

Step 12 : Now key in your password, and click on the Log Masuk (Log In) button.

Step 13 : After logging in, you will see the BUDI MADANI screen with two options. Click on Permohonan BUDI Individu (Application for BUDI Individual)

Step 14 : You will need to key in your other personal details:

Tick the Police / Military checkbox and key in your Police / Military number, if you are in the police or military.
Mobile phone number
Bank
Bank account number

Step 15 : You will then need to key in the details of your diesel vehicles (up to 5):

Vehicle number plate number
Vehicle road tax expiry date
Vehicle brand and model
Vehicle class

Step 16 : Once you are done, verify the details and click on the Teruskan (Proceed) button.

Step 17 : You will be presented with a CAPTCHA challenge. Key in the letters you see in the box below, and click on the SAHKAN CAPTCHA (Verify CAPTCHA) button.

Step 18 : You will be presented with a declaration. Click on the checkbox to proceed.

Step 19 : Now click on the Hantar (Send) button to submit your application.

Step 20 : You will receive a notification that your application was successfully submitted. Click on the Keluar (Leave) button to exit, or click on the Cetak Permohonan (Print Application) button to download your application.

You can also click on the Semak Status (Check Status) to see if your application has been approved.

That’s it! You have successfully submitted your BUDI MADANI application for diesel subsidy! Best of luck!

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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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Subsidy Removed : Diesel To Cost RM3.35 On June 10!

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Malaysia just abolished its diesel fuel subsidy, and will float diesel prices on a monthly basis! Here is what you need to know…

Subsidy Removed : Diesel To Cost RM3.35 On June 10!

On 9 June 2024, Malaysia Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan announced that diesel prices will be floated on a monthly basis, abolishing the diesel fuel subsidy at least in Peninsula Malaysia.

Based on the Automatic Pricing Mechanism formula for the month of May, diesel will be priced at RM3.35 per litre starting midnight on Monday, June 10, 2024.

Currently, Euro 5 diesel (B10) is sold at the subsidised price of RM2.15 per litre, whereas so the new, unsubsidised price of RM3.35 per litre is about 55.8% higher. Those using B7 diesel will pay RM3.55 per litre, up from the current RM2.35 per litre – up by 51%.

While the diesel subsidy will remain in place for Sabah and Sarawak, it will eventually be removed. The Finance Minister II said that the “rationalisation” of the diesel subsidy will be implemented in Sabah and Sarawak later.

Instead of providing a direct subsidy of diesel fuel, Malaysia has announced a new diesel subsidy scheme called BUDI MADANI, which is much more limited, and targeted.

In addition, the government will continue to provide subsidies for farmers and traders using diesel-powered commercial vehicles, and public transportation. Ten types of public transportation vehicles, including buses and taxis, as well as 23 types of goods transport vehicles, will be subsidised under the Subsidised Diesel Control System (SKDS)

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BUDI MADANI Diesel Subsidy Scheme Explained!

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Malaysia will abolish its diesel fuel subsidy, and replace it with a targeted subsidy scheme called BUDI MADANI. Here is what you need to know…

Updated @ 2024-05-30 : Updated details of BUDI MADANI vs SKDS 2.0 diesel subsidy
Updated @ 2024-05-29 : Added new vehicle limitations for BUDI Individu
Originally posted @ 2024-05-28

BUDI MADANI : A Targeted Diesel Subsidy Scheme

On 22 May 2024, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government will move to cut diesel subsidies in Peninsular Malaysia, with Sabah and Sarawak spared as the use of diesel vehicles is widespread in those states.

Currently, Euro 5 diesel is sold at the subsidised price of RM2.15 per litre, whereas the unsubsidised price is about RM3.33 per litre – about 55% higher.

Instead of providing a direct subsidy of diesel fuel, Malaysia has announced a new diesel subsidy scheme called BUDI MADANI, which is much more limited, and targeted. Here is what you need to know…

BUDI MADANI : 3 Categories Of Diesel Subsidy

On 27 May 2024, the Malaysia Ministry of Finance announced two categories for the BUDI MADANI diesel subsidy scheme, but there now appears to be a total of three categories.

BUDI Individu

BUDI Individu is the category for owners of private diesel vehicles. It offers a fixed cash aid of RM200 per month to qualified applicants who meet these requirements:

Must be a Malaysian citizen
Own a diesel vehicle that is registered with JPJ in Peninsular Malaysia, except luxury vehicles* that are less than 10 years old
Diesel vehicle must have a valid road tax
The annual income of the individual or couple must be RM100,000 and below

* What constitutes a luxury vehicle is currently undefined

Applications for BUDI Individu will be cross-checked with the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN) to eliminate owners of luxury diesel vehicles that is less than 10 years old, and high-income individuals (T20).

In addition, the Ministry of Finance just added new limitations – these vehicles do NOT qualify for BUDI Individu:

Diesel motorcycle
Privately-licensed diesel vehicles used by a company or organisation
Vehicles registered for e-hailing use
These vehicle types – caravan, motorhome, tour van, tour bus

BUDI Agri-Komoditi

BUDI Agri-Komoditi is the category for farmers or smallholders. It also offers a fixed cash aid of RM200 per month to qualified applicants who meet these requirements:

Must be registered as a farmer, or a smallholder, with relevant agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM), or the Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK).
Must be an active farmer, or smallholder, with annual agricultural sales of between RM50,000 and RM300,000.

MySubsidi Diesel

Finally, the MySubsidi Diesel is a special category for public vehicles and qualified goods transportation, which will be able to obtain subsidised diesel through a “fleet card”.

This includes 10 types of public transport vehicles, and 23 types of goods transport vehicles under the Subsidised Diesel Control System, including buses and taxis.

Recommended : Bantuan Tambahan RM1000 Scam Alert!

BUDI MADANI : How To Apply + Get Aid / Subsidy

You can apply for any of the three BUDI MADANI categories through the official BUDI MADANI website.

BUDI Individu and BUDI Agri-Komoditi applicants who are approved before 3 June 2024 will receive their first cash aid by middle of June 2024, and thereafter receive it on a monthly basis.

Those who get approved after 3 June 2024 will receive the first BUDI MADANI payment within two weeks, and thereafter receive it on a monthly basis.

Cash aid through the BUDI MADANI programme will be credited directly into the recipient’s bank account every month. Those who do not have a bank account can claim their BUDI MADANI aid as cash at any Bank Simpanan National (BSN) branch nationwide.

For those whose applications failed, the Ministry of Finance will also open up an Appeals process to allow you to make an appeal.

Diesel Subsidy : Choose SKDS 2.0 / BUDI MADANI

On Thursday, 30 May 2024, Malaysia Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali clarified that people can only opt for one diesel subsidy – either the Subsidised Diesel Control System 2.0 (SKDS 2.0), or the new BUDI MADANI programme, but not both.

He explained that the Subsidised Diesel Control System is targeted at companies, while the BUDI MADANI is for individuals, and small farmers. The SKDS 2.0 programme is also handled by his ministry, whereas BUDI MADANI is being handled by the Finance Ministry instead.

They can only choose one. We observed that there are farmers or households that have small businesses and do not have a company. Hence, we will have to help them through the Budi Madani programme.

Further details on BUDI MADANI will be announced by the Finance Ministry, whereas our ministry handles the SKDS.

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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 Trump warn it’ll be a ‘Bloodbath’ if he’s not elected?!

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Did Donald Trump warn that it will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he’s not elected as President?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Media Lied That Trump Warned Of ‘Bloodbath’ If Not Elected!

Some people are claiming that the mainstream media lied about Donald Trump warning of a ‘bloodbath’ if he is not elected in the 2024 US Presidential elections!

Elon Musk : Legacy media lies

Ian Miles Cheong : The media is lying about Donald Trump with this narrative about a “bloodbath” if he loses the election. He was very clearly talking about the car manufacturing industry—before and after he used the word.

You have to be extremely disingenuous to take what he’s saying out of context, and that’s exactly what the media is doing. They’re all running with the same lie.

Mario Nawfal : 🇺🇸THE WHOLE BLOODY TRUTH – THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF TRUMP’S “BLOODBATH” COMMENT

“Mexico has taken over a period of 30 years 34% of the automobile manufacturing business in our country. Think of it. Went to Mexico. China now is building a couple of massive plants, where they’re going to build the cars in Mexico and think, they think, that they’re going to sell those cars into the United States with no tax at the border.

Let me tell you something to China. If you’re listening President Xi and you and I are friends but he understands the way I deal. Those big monster car manufacturing plants that you’re building in Mexico right now. And you think you’re going to get that, you’re going to not hire Americans and you’re going to sell the cars to us no. We’re going to put a 100% tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and you’re not going to be able to sell those guys if I get elected.

Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole. That’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country. That will be the least of it, but they’re not going to sell those cars. They’re building massive factories.”

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Truth : Trump Did Warn Of ‘Bloodbath’ If Not Elected!

This appears to be another example of misinformation circulating on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Donald Trump Warned Of ‘Bloodbath’ If Not Elected

Let me start by pointing out that former President Donald Trump did indeed warn of a ‘bloodbath’ if he is not elected in the 2024 US Presidential elections.

He made those comments at a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio, on 16 March 2024. Here is the transcript of his speech:

Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole – that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country. That will be the least of it. But they’re not going to sell those cars. They’re building massive factories.

So yes, Donald Trump did indeed warn or say that “it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country” if he doesn’t “get elected“.

Fact #2 : Donald Trump ‘Bloodbath’ Warning Was About Car Industry

That said, it is important to note that Donald Trump’s ‘bloodbath’ warning referred to the automotive industry, because it came after his comments on the car manufacturing plants China is building in Mexico:

To be clear – Donald Trump was warning of an economic bloodbath, and not a literal, violent bloodbath.

Fact #3 : Mainstream Media Did Not Misrepresent ‘Bloodbath’ Comments

Donald Trump is known for making inflammatory comments, so it is easy to see how people may believe that he was actually referring to a violent ‘bloodbath’. However, did the mainstream media really misrepresent his ‘bloodbath’ comments as suggested or claimed?

Not quite. Major media outlets, and even some political outlets, made it clear in their titles that Trump was referring to a bloodbath for the auto industry:

CNN : Trump warns of ‘bloodbath’ for auto industry and country if he loses the election

ABC News : Trump, while addressing auto industry, says there will be ‘bloodbath’ if he loses 2024 election, ramps up anti-migrant rhetoric

Daily Express UK : Donald Trump warns of ‘bloodbath’ for US auto industry if he is not re-elected

The Daily Beast : Trump Declares It Will Be a ‘Bloodbath’ for Auto Industry if He’s Not Elected

While other media outlets did not refer to the auto industry in their titles, they were clear in their articles that Donald Trump was referring to the automotive industry.

New York Times : Trump Says Some Migrants Are ‘Not People’ and Predicts a ‘Blood Bath’ if He Loses

While discussing the U.S. economy and its auto industry, Mr. Trump promised to place tariffs on cars manufactured abroad if he won in November. He added: “Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a blood bath for the whole — that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a blood bath for the country.”

The Guardian : Trump predicts ‘bloodbath’ if he loses election and claims ‘Biden beat Obama’

The US, Trump insisted during comments about the auto workers and the car industry, was headed for “a bloodbath” if he was rejected again at the polls in favor of Biden.

It is very likely that those who have been complaining that the mainstream media was representing Trump’s ‘bloodbath’ comments did not actually read the articles.

Fact #4 : Trump Warned There Won’t Be Another Election

To be fair to those who think that Donald Trump was inciting violence again, he did suggest later that American will never have another election if he is not elected in 2024.

I don’t think you’re going to have another election in this country, if we don’t win this election … certainly not an election that’s meaningful.

While Trump appears to quickly backtrack on his remarks, his supporters and fans may not realise it, and may be incited to secure his election victory by hook or by crook.

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Apple Cancels Project Titan Autonomous Electric Car!

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Apple just cancelled Project Titan – its long-running effort to build an autonomous electric car! Here is what we know so far…

Apple Cancels Project Titan Autonomous Electric Car!

Apple has finally decided to pull the plug on Project Titan – its long-running and highly-secret effort to build an electric car or autonomous vehicle.

All work on the project has stopped, and Apple is likely to cut hundreds of people from the team. There are about 1,400 employees currently working on Project Titan.

Only some employees will be shifted to its generative AI projects under John Giannandrea, Apple’s senior vice president of Machine Learning and AI Strategy. All other employees will have 90 days to find a reassignment to other roles in Apple, or be let go.

On Tuesday, 27 February 2024, Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, and the vice president in charge of Project Titan, Kevin Lynch, announced the news to the team in a short meeting that lasted just 12 minutes. They did not take questions, according to an employee who was there.

According to this employee, who remains anonymous, the announcement was abrupt but the decision was not. It appears to be a long time coming, with constantly shifting priorities within Apple.

Apple first started working on its Project Titan car project in 2014, oscillating its focus between making an all-electric car to compete with Tesla, and developing a fully autonomous vehicle more like Waymo. The project’s leadership would repeatedly change its focus, under pressure from top executives and the Apple board.

Unfortunately, the team is apparently still years away from producing a viable vehicle, whether it is just an electric car, or a fully-autonomous vehicle, despite reportedly spending up to $1 billion annually.

In response to Apple’s decision to kill off its electric car, Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted emojis of a salute and a cigarette on X (formerly known as Twitter).

5 Reasons Why Apple Cancelled Project Titan Electric Car

After spending a decade and many billions of dollars on Project Titan, the decision could not have been easy. Here are the five reasons Apple scraped its electric car project, according to Bloomberg:

The strategy for Apple electric was constantly changing with no consistent plan nor approach.
There was a revolving door of leadership.
The electric car was still years away from being commercially viable, which concerned Apple.
Self-driving technology is tricky and challenging.
The electric vehicle market has been stagnating due to poor charging infrastructure, which soured Apple’s optimism.

While Apple’s electric car dreams has now ended, it doesn’t mean that all of its efforts have gone to waste. It is likely that the company will salvage and repurpose (maybe even licence out) the technologies its team developed.

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CNY 2024 : No Highway Tolls + Speed Limit Reduction!

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The Malaysian government just announced two days of toll-free travel and a speed limit reduction for the CNY 2024 holidays!

CNY 2024 : No Highway Tolls On February 8-9!

On Wednesday, 7 February 2024, the Ministry of Works announced that there will be no highway tolls from February 8 to 9, in conjunction with Chinese New Year 2024!

In a short public announcement, the Ministry announced that the toll-free travel would apply to all Class 1 private vehicles for two days, from 12:01 AM on Thursday, February 8, to 11:59 PM on Friday, February 9, on exiting the toll booths.

This toll-free travel will extend to all highways, except at the toll plazas at the national borders:

the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Toll Plaza
the Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza

The expected financial implication of these two days of toll-free travel is estimated to be about RM42.99 million.

CNY 2024 : Speed Limit Reduction For 6 Days!

In conjunction with the CNY holidays, the Ministry of Works also ordered a reduction in all speed limits on all roads.

For 6 days from 8 to 13 February 2024, the speed limit will be reduced from 90 km/h to 80 km/h, on all federal roads.

This speed reduction are amongst the moves made to improve safety and reduce the risk of accidents during the CNY 2024 festivities.

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Did Simon Cowell Just Die Suddenly In Hospital?!

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Did Simon Cowell just die suddenly in a hospital?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2024-02-12 : Added updated MediaMass claim, and other details
Originally posted @ 2023-01-07

Claim : Simon Cowell Just Died Suddenly In Car Crash!

People are sharing YouTube and TikTok videos which claim that Simon Cowell just died suddenly in a tragic car crash or unknown causes, with titles like :

10 minutes ago in Chicago, “America’s Got Talent” Simon Cowell died suddenly at the hospital

5 minutes ago announced that simon cowell died at the hospital…😳🤐 #viral #viralvideo

5 minutes ago/Simon Cowell passed away, leaving his family with endless pain.

5 Minutes Ago / The UNEXPECTED Death Of Simon Cowell / R.I.P. Legend

(RIP) Very Sad News 2 minutes ago in Chicago, “America’s Got Talent” Simon Cowell, He has been confirmed as…

5 minutes ago! Millions of people cried over the sudden death of “America’s Got Talent” Simon Cowell.

5 minutes ago / Terrible devastation about “America’s Got Talent “Simon Cowell, tearful farewell.

3 hours ago/funeral took place/ Simon Cowell’s sudden passing left thousands of fans heartbroken

10 minutes ago in Chicago, Simon Cowell died in a car accident 😭 (Inside AGT) America’s Got Talent

5 minutes ago! Millions of people cried over the sudden death of “America’s Got Talent” Simon Cowell

Very Sad News, 11 minutes ago in Chicago, “American’s Got Talent” Simon Cowell, he has been confirmed as…

Show less

Truth : Simon Cowell Did Not Die Suddenly In Hospital!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page views and YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death

These YouTube videos have been circulating for weeks and months, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported his death.

Never mind his wealth, Simon Cowell is a celebrity in his own right. Even if he did not die, the worldwide media would have reported on his car accident or hospitalisation.

No legitimate media outlet reported that Simon Cowell was hospitalised, never mind dying suddenly in a car crash. That’s because it never happened!

Fact #2 : Simon Cowell Is Still Alive + Well!

Simon Cowell – the long-time judge on Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent is still very much alive and well, as of Monday, 12 February 2024.

Of course, you need actual “proof of life”, right? Well, Simon Cowell posted a video of Shadow Ace performing on America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League.

As you can see – Simon Cowell is not dead, or in the hospital. He certainly does not look like he’s dying in a hospital!

Fact #3 : The Photos Were Edited

I analysed the photos used in these videos, and traced the origin of four examples used in many of these videos.

This photo that shows Simon Cowell on a hospital bed, was edited from a real photo of a kidney transplant patient called Gerhard van Tonder. The photo was taken in October 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Healthcare professionals will immediately notice that Simon Cowell is not intubated despite being mysteriously hooked up to a ventilator!

If you look carefully, you will also notice that Simon Cowell’s head is oddly larger than normal – to superimpose over Gerhard’s head in the real photo.

If you zoom into the fake photo, you can even see a white border around Simon Cowell’s head – a clear sign it was added to the photo.

The photo of this white SUV was taken on July 17, 2019 on Highway 6 near Freelton, Ontario, Canada. The driver was a 38 year-old woman, not Simon Cowell.

This photo was also misappropriated from another car accident, this time in the Selma neighbourhood in the San Fernando Valley, on May 9, 2021.

The driver was a 57 year-old woman who died in that accident. Again, not Simon Cowell.

This fake photo is a pretty good edit, albeit showing Simon Cowell smiling with his eyes closed – odd for someone who was dying or has already died.

But it was really a photo of Blake Bargatze, a 24 year-old man, who was being treated at a South Florida hospital for COVID-19 in March 2021.

Bargatze, unfortunately, did not qualify for the COVID-19 vaccine at that time, and got infected. His condition grew worse over time, and he eventually had to be placed on an ECMO machine to let his lungs heal.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and he ended up with a double-lung transplant in June 2021, to save his life.

Fact #4 : Simon Cowell Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too

This Simon Cowell death hoax is, ironically, also being driven by a fake fact check article by the MediaMass Project, which keeps “updating” the dates in their fake fact check article:

News of television host Simon Cowell’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the February 2024 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the creator of Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor is alive and well.

Rumors of the television host’s alleged demise gained traction on Saturday after a ‘R.I.P. Simon Cowell’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the British television host’s passing:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Saturday (February 10, 2024), our beloved television host Simon Cowell passed away. Simon Cowell was born on October 7, 1959 in London. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 64-year-old television host was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major British network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of a television host of Simon Cowell’s stature would be major news across networks.

Show less

Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Simon Cowell Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Simon Cowell’s unnamed rep confirming that he is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other reps MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Angelina Jolie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barry Gibb, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Celine Dion, Clint Eastwood, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dolly Parton, Harrison Ford, Justine Bieber, Lionel Messi, Lucy Liu, Madonna, Melanie Laurent, Mike Tyson, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Robert Pattinson, Sylvester Stallone, Taylor Swift, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hanks.

He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Fake Celebrity News

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate page views and money through advertising, just like these examples:

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

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

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

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Did Justin Bieber Just Die In Tragic Car Accident?!

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Did Justin Bieber just die in a hospital after a high speed car crash?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2024-01-14 : Refreshed for a new release
Originally posted @ 2023-04-13

Claim : Justin Bieber Died Suddenly In High Speed Car Crash!

People are sharing YouTube, Facebook and TikTok videos claiming that Justin Bieber just died suddenly in a high speed car crash, with titles like :

10 minutes ago in Los Angeles, American famous singer Justin Bieber died suddenly in car accident

( RIP ) Justin Bieber died after crashing at over 100mph, coroner’s report reveals

12 Minute ago ( RIP ) Justin Bieber died after crashing at over 100mph, coroner’s report reveals

RIP Justin Bieber… We lost him in a car crash over 100mph if your depressed please reach out.

( RIP ) Justin Bieber died after crashing at over 120mph, coroner’s report reveals

( RIP ) Very Sad 20 Second ago in Chicago, Justin Bieber died after crashing at over 100mph, coroner’s report reveals

7 minutes ago Justin Bieber died in car accident after crashing at over 100mph…. RIP legend…very sad news

Justin Bieber died #justinbieber #justinbieberdied #death #singer #justinbieberupdates #ytshorts

Truth : Justin Bieber Did Not Die In Car Accident!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to generate income from page / video views and advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Outlet Reported His Death

These YouTube / TikTok / Facebook videos have been circulating for days now, but people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported Justin Bieber’s death.

Justin Bieber is a megastar, with a beautiful celebrity model wife. If something happened to him, not will it be eagerly reported on by celebrity blogs, the worldwide media would no doubt cover it too.

When Justin Bieber revealed that he is suffering from Ramsay Hunt syndrome, the worldwide media breathlessly reported on his condition, including he cancelled the rest of his concerts.

No legitimate media outlet has reported that Justin Bieber died recently from any cause. Why should you believe no-name websites like NewsC60 / Fact Journal Media / NewsC8, or random YouTube / TikTok / Facebook videos?

Fact #2 : Justin Bieber Is Still Alive + Well!

Justin Bieber is still very much alive and well, as of Sunday, 14 January, 2024. Of course, you want “proof of life”, don’t you?

Well, Justin Bieber himself posted a series of photos and videos on Instagram on 7 January 2024, to share how excited he is for 2024:

excited for this next year. New beginnings

One of them is a video of him playing golf. Needless to say – he looks very well, f or someone who allegedly got smashed into pieces in a terrible car accident.

This happened many days, weeks and even months after those YouTube / TikTok / Facebook videos claimed that he died in a high speed car accident! What a miracle!

Obviously, we can confirm that all those videos and articles about Justin Bieber dying from a tragic car accident are FAKE.

Fact #3 : Justin Bieber “Died Suddenly” Photos Were Edited

I analysed this photo used in some of the videos, and confirmed that Justin Bieber wasn’t even involved in that car accident, never mind die in it.

This is actually a photo of a car accident that happened in July 2022, involving Justin Bieber’s step grandmother, Kathy Bieber.

Marty Denham was outside his shop when he heard a loud noise on Lorne Avenue West and saw one vehicle had collided with another.

“I had my back to it, I turned around, there was probably a five-count and the entire car blew up behind them,” he said.

One of the vehicles was consumed by flames almost instantly.

That’s when Denham saw a woman jump out of the car to safety.

“We thought we were watching a person die because we thought the girl was the passenger.”

Denham said one of the people involved in the crash was Kathy Bieber, who is married to the pop star’s grandfather on his dad’s side of the family.

Here is another popular photo used to show Justin Bieber dying in a hospital after his tragic car crash, but that’s not him in that hospital bed.

That is really a photo of doctors and nurses at the Brooklyn Hospital Center treating a COVID-19 patient, that Victor J. Blue of the New York Times took in April 2020.

Photo credit : Victor J. Blue, New York Times

Fact #4 : Justin Bieber Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too

This Justin Bieber death hoax is, ironically, also being driven by a fact check article by the MediaMass Project, which appears to regularly update / change the dates.

News of singer Justin Bieber’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the January 2024 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the singer best known for hit songs like Beauty and a Beat, Boyfriend or Baby is alive and well.

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Friday (January 12, 2024), our beloved singer Justin Bieber passed away. Justin Bieber was born on March 1, 1994 in Stratford. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 29-year-old singer was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major Canadian network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of a singer of Justin Bieber’s stature would be major news across networks.

Show less

Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Justin Bieber Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Justin Bieber’s unnamed rep confirming that he is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other celebrities whose reps MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Angelina Jolie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barry Gibb, Bruce Willis, Celine Dion, Clint Eastwood, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dolly Parton, Harrison Ford, Lionel Messi, Lucy Liu, Madonna, Melanie Laurent, Mike Tyson, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey, Robert Pattinson, Simon Cowell, Sylvester Stallone, Taylor Swift, Toby Keith, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hanks.

He joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. He’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that they are a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Fake Celebrity News

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate page views and money through advertising, just like these examples:

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

Please Support My Work!

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

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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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Motorists Can Renew Licence + Road Tax Via MyJPJ App!

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Motorists in Malaysia can soon digitally renew their driving licence and road tax through the MyJPJ app… with a discount too!

Motorists Can Renew Licence + Road Tax Via MyJPJ App!

On Tuesday, 2 January 2024, Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that, effective 1 February 2024, motorists will be able to digitally renew their driving licence and motor vehicle licence (Lesen Kenderaan Motor, or LKM for short), which is colloquially known as the “road tax”.

The digital renewal of driving licence and road tax through the MyJPJ app will be carried out in stages. Initially, this feature will only be available to privately-owned vehicles belonging to Malaysian citizens.

These new features will make it easier for motorists in Malaysia to renew their driving licence and road tax digitally, saving time and costs, as well as reduce traffic and congestion at JPJ counters.

RM5 Discount If You Renew Digital Driving Licence!

On top of that, Anthony Loke also announced that for the year 2024, motorists who opt for the digital driving licence will receive a RM5 discount!

This RM5 discount or rebate applies to those who renew their digital driving licence, from 1 February until 31 December 2024, through:

the JPJ counter,
the mySIKAP portal,
the MyJPJ app, or
JPJ partners like Pos Malaysia or MyEG

However, this initiative to promote the use of digital driving licence is limited to Malaysian citizens. Foreigners, or pass holders, long-term permit holders, or people with MyKAS or MyPR cards will not receive this RM5 discount / rebate.

This initiative is only for Malaysians, and is not extended to to foreign nationals on any pass, long-term permit, MyKAS Card, MyPR Card holders.

– Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke

As nice as this discount is, I should point out that motorists who plan to drive overseas should still request for a physical driving licence. Otherwise, you may face issues with foreign law enforcement officials!

Physical Licence + Road Tax Still Available For Those Who Renew In 2024

Anthony Lok also announced that the physical driving licence and road tax will still be available for motorists who renew them in 2024.

However, JPJ will no longer provide them in their previous plastic forms. Instead, they will be printed on security paper, for those who prefer a physical copy.

As announced earlier, motorists are no longer required to display the road tax sticker on their vehicles. This applies to the new paper road tax.

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Malaysia : Free Highway Tolls For Christmas 2023!

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The government of Malaysia just announced free highway tolls for two days for Christmas 2023! Here is what you need to know!

Malaysia : Free Highway Tolls For Christmas 2023!

On Thursday, 21 December 2023, Malaysia Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan announced free highway tolls for two days:

Saturday, 23 December 2023
Tuesday, 26 December 2023

The toll-free travel will apply to all types of vehicles travelling on all highways in Malaysia, except the toll plazas at the national borders in Johor:

the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Toll Plaza
the Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza

The toll-free period will begin at 12:01 AM and end at 11:59 PM on the two days – Saturday, 23 December 2023, and Tuesday, 26 December, 2023.

An estimated 2.1 million vehicles are expected to use the highways during the Christmas 2023 season, with the free toll costing the government RM20 million per day, for a total cost of RM40 million.

It is hoped that this toll waiver will reduce the burden on those who are planning to return to their home towns to visit their families and celebrate Christmas together.

This is in line with the intention of the unity government to help ease the burden of the people across the religious diversity and beliefs

Highway users should take advantage of this opportunity and plan their journeys as best as possible while observing the recommended travel time advisory schedule.

He said that the dates were chosen to avoid traffic congestion, and optimise logistics. He also advised highway users to observe the safety limits, signages, and regulations.

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PDRM : 50% Discount On Traffic Offences For 3 Days!

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The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is offering up to 50% discount for selected traffic offences for just 3 days!

Find out how you can get the 50% discount on your traffic offences from PDRM!

PDRM Offers 50% Discount On Traffic Offences For 3 Days!

On 6 December 2023, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) announced a special 50% discount for selected traffic offences for just 3 days!

From 8 December until 10 December 2023, motorists will be able to get a 50% discount for selected traffic summonses at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium:

Date : Friday, 8 December until Sunday, 10 December 2023

Location : Tent no. 2, Bukit Jalil National Stadium (behind the main stage)

PDRM 50% Traffic Summons Discount For December 2023

This special PDRM offer only applies to traffic summonses issued in 2022 and earlier. It does not apply to traffic offences committed in 2023, or active warrants for court trials. This limited 50% discount offer also does not apply to:

summons for traffic accidents
court cases which involve arrest warrants or ongoing trials
non-compoundable offences, like driving without a licence, careless driving, expired driving licence, uninsured vehicle, etc.

Motorists who want to take advantage of this discount programme are advised to check their outstanding traffic summonses through the PDRM MyBayar website and/or mobile app before heading over to the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

MyBayar Saman online : https://mybayar.rmp.gov.my/
Google Play Store
Apple App Store
HUAWEI AppGallery

Please note that you cannot get the discount by paying online. Unlike earlier online discount offers, this programme requires you to be physically present at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium between 8 to 10 December 2023.

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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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Senior Citizens Get 50% Discount On Driving License?!

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Did Transport Minister Anthony Loke just announce a 50% discount for senior citizens renewing their driving license?!

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

Claim : Senior Citizens Get 50% Discount On Driving License!

People are sharing a WhatsApp message which claims that Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony just announced a 50% discount for senior citizens who renew their driving license.

Anthony Loke announced ½ price for Driving license for seniors. Pay for 5 years, get 10 years.

Only if license expiring less than 12 months.
Moreover, seniors no need to queue

Another benefit of golden age👍

For more info pls visit your local JPJ OF IS 👆

Truth : Senior Citizens Do Not Get 50% Discount On Driving License!

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

Fact #1 : No Recent Announcement On Driving License

When I first received this viral message, I checked online to see if Transport Minister Anthony Loke, or the Road Transport Department (JPJ), announced anything new on driving licenses in Malaysia, or its renewal.

However, there has been no recent announcement on the Malaysian driving license, or its renewal. The viral message also did not provide any evidence to back up its claim.

As far as I can tell – there is no such thing as a 50% discount for senior citizens renewing their driving licenses, or a renew for 5 years and get 10 years promotion on driving license renewal for senior citizens.

Fact #2 : JPJ Charging Same Prices For Senior Citizens

A check of the JPJ page on driving license fees in Malaysia showed that their prices applied across the board, with no special discount for senior citizens :

LICENSE TYPE	CHARGES (RM)	DURATION
LEARNER DRIVING LICENSE (LDL)
A Class	2.00	3/6 months
B2 Class (sole)	2.00/4.00	3/6 months
B/C Class	20.00/40.00	3/6 months
D Class and others	30.00/60.00	3/6 months
PROVISIONAL DRIVING LICENSE (PDL)
A/A1 Class	2.00	2 years
B2 (sole) Class	2.00	2 years
B/C Class	40.00	2 years
D/E/F/G/H/I Class	60.00	2 years
LESEN MEMANDU KOMPETEN (CDL)
A/A1 Class	2.00	1 year
B2 (sole) /B/C Class	20.00	1 year
D/E/F/G/H/I Class	30.00	1 year
VOCATIONAL DRIVING LICENSE
Goods Driving License (GDL) / Public Vehicle License (PSV) or CON	20.00	1 year
International Driving Permit (IDP)	150.00	1 year
Copy of Driving License	20.00	–
Application for Driving License Information	10.00	–
Amending Driving License Information	10.00	–
Adding Class to Driving License	5.00	–

Fact #3 : 10% Discount Applies To 10 Year Renewal For All

On 3 May 2023, the Transport Minister announced an extension of the license validity period. Starting from 8 May 2023 onwards, all drivers in Malaysia will be allowed to renew their driving licences for a maximum period of 10 years.

On top of that, those who renew their driving licenses for 10 years would receive a 10% discount!

They will be charged the same fee of RM30 per year, but if they renew for 10 years at one go, the fee is RM270. This means they will only be paying for nine years.

On 8 May 2023, Anthony Loke confirmed the 10% discount for people renewing for the full 10 years.

You’ll only pay RM270 instead of RM300. That’s a new policy we’re introducing to make it easier for people.

At that time, he also said that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will still take action, including revoking or suspending the driving licence, against people who commit traffic offences.

Fact #4 : One Year Limit For Expired Driving License

The viral message is correct about one thing though – there is a one year limit for people with expired licenses.

As Anthony Loke pointed out in May 2023, those who want to renew their driving license in Malaysia, must ensure that it has not expired for more than a year:

Those who want to renew must ensure that their licence has not expired for more than a year.

But here’s some good news – there is an amnesty for motorists whose driving licenses have expired for more than a year – you have until 31 December 2023 to renew your expired driving licenses without penalty.

This initiative only applies to Malaysian citizens, and not to foreigners holding special passes like the MyKAS card. In addition, only those who have not been blacklisted by the police, or have any existing restrictions imposed by JPJ, and are free from any suspension due to a conviction or court order may renew their expired driving license.

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2024 Petrol + Diesel Subsidies To Use 3 Methods!

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Malaysia is planning to use 3 methods to channel petrol and diesel subsidies in 2024! Here is what we know so far…

Malaysia To Use 3 Methods For 2024 Petrol + Diesel Subsidies

On Monday, 6 November 2023, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli revealed that Malaysia will use three methods to channel petrol and diesel subsidies in 2024, after the government has household income data from the PADU (Pangkalan Data Utama) central database hub that will is expected to be completed in January 2024.

According to Rafizi, the government has identified several ways to channel the petrol and diesel subsidies, but the new system will only be implemented if the cabinet approves the proposal to be presented this month (November).

The coordination of diesel and petrol subsidies is planned for 2024, through the implementation of Padu which is expected to be completed in January next year.

In addition to how the subsidies would be implemented, the engagement plan will be announced after the cabinet’s decision is reached through a proposal that will be presented this month (November).

The plan will be implemented after the cabinet’s decision is reached, in line with the engagement plan (of Padu implementation) which is set to balance the speculative inflation risks.

Recommended : Does Penang Bridge Have A Massive Crack?!

2024 Petrol + Diesel Subsidies To Be Based On Net Income

Rafizi said that the three methods will be based on net individual and household income.

The first method is based on the individual’s net income, which is the person’s take-home pay, after taxes.
The second method is based on the household’s net income through social protection or assistance schemes.
The third method is based on a combination of household and individual income, but implemented through a subsidy card.

Firstly, the subsidy provision will be based on an individual’s net income through a social protection scheme, whereas the second method will involve the net income of the households through a combination of social protection and social assistance.

Thirdly, it will be based on both individual and household net income eligibility, where a subsidy card will be implemented. Following this, specific decisions on the methods will be announced based on the specified targets in the future.

According to Rafizi, the proposed scheme for 2024 petrol and diesel subsidies was based on a nationwide survey conducted in June, to identify subsidy methods that would be suitable for Malaysians.

The planning for diesel and petrol subsidies has already taken place through several meetings held by the government since May with the Finance Ministry, Domestic and Consumer Affairs Ministry, the Prime Minister’s Economic Planning Unit as well as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

Hence, it can be said that the proposal (for the subsidy rollout) is the result of input provided by the government, economic experts as well as the people.

Apart from that, the cabinet will also establish a communication, engagement and support plan to alleviate the people’s burden, which will be executed as a unified effort by the entire government machinery.

The proposed 2024 petrol and diesel subsidies programme will only involve peninsular Malaysia, with diesel subsidies to be reduced in phases. The reduction in diesel subsidies will not involve Sabah and Sarawak, due to the extensive use of diesel in those two states.

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Traffic Lights Now Have CCTV Cameras To Catch Drivers?!

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Do traffic lights in Malaysia now have CCTV cameras to catch drivers crossing the white line?!

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

Claim : Traffic Lights Have CCTV To Catch Drivers!

People are sharing a photo of a JPJ (Road Transport Department) traffic offence fine issued to a driver called Koh Chip Wee.

They claim that he was fined after a CCTV camera at the traffic light caught him stopping his vehicle over the white line. This example warns motorists that they could be fined RM2,000 or jailed for up to 6 months for this offence:

It’s a RM 2K fine or 6 months jail for waiting across the white line at traffic lights monitored by cameras, the notices hv already started going out by post… Cheers

Other people are sharing the photo with this audio message of a man warning people that traffic lights in Kuantan, Pahang, now have CCTV cameras that are designed to catch motorists who stop over the white line.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/WhatsApp-Audio-2023-09-14-at-15.28.40.mp3?_=1

Truth : Traffic Lights Do Not Have CCTV To Catch Drivers!

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

Fact #1 : You Can Be Fined For Stopping Over White Line

First, let me just confirm that this part is true – motorists may be fined up to RM2,000, or jailed for up to 6 months, if they are caught stopping any part of their vehicles on any zebra crossing, including crossing that unbroken white line at any traffic light.

Mana-mana individu yang melakukan kesalahan boleh dikenakan denda tidak melebihi RM2,000 atau dipenjarakan selama tempoh tidak melebihi enam bulan.

Any individual who commits an offense may be fined not exceeding RM2,000 or imprisoned for a period not exceeding six months.

In other words – this is a serious offence, with serious consequences. You must stop your vehicle before the unbroken white line at all traffic lights.

Most of us motorists never think about this. So this is a timely warning. Please SHARE this warning with your family and friends!

Fact #2 : Traffic Lights Currently Do Not Have CCTV Cameras

The traffic lights currently do not have any CCTV cameras installed to catch drivers crossing the white line, or committing any other traffic offences.

That device you see on many traffic lights these days is an active infra-red sensor. Such infra-red sensors are used to determine the presence of vehicles, for traffic control.

If the sensor does not detect the presence of a vehicle waiting, the traffic light for that lane may skip a turn to allow vehicles using other lanes to go through the junction for a longer period of time.

In the viral photo, the angle of the photo taken indicates that it was not taken by any camera attached to the traffic light. The photo was taken from behind the vehicle and even shows the traffic light itself.

Fact #3 : Driver Was Fined For Running A Red Light

The motorist in this case was not fined for stopping his vehicle over the white line at the traffic light.

If you look closely at the notice, you can see that he was actually fined for running a red light. In addition, he was only fined RM300 for the offence, not RM2,000.

Kesalahan : Gagal mematuhi isyarat merah pada isyarat lalulintas

Offence : Failed to obey red light at traffic light

Recommended : Warning – PDRM Parking Fine Scam Alert!

Fact #4 : Only Known Traffic Light CCTV Camera Was A Test

The only known CCTV camera (with AI technology) that was installed for the purpose of catching traffic offences started operating in Miri on 4 July 2023.

This AI Violation Detection CCTV camera is designed to automatically monitor and record driver behaviour at the intersection, including:

collecting data on vehicle speed and details
automatically detecting and recording speeding vehicles
recording driver offences like using mobile phones, smoking, and not wearing seatbelts while driving

However, this CCTV camera with AI technology was installed as a proof-of-concept trial that will only last 6 months.

The trial period would be six months and the results will be presented to the ministry to decide on the next course of action.

It may be just a matter of time before such cameras are deployed in Malaysia, and other countries around the world. But right now, there really are no CCTV cameras installed at traffic lights to catch drivers committing traffic offences like stopping over the white line.

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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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Warning – PDRM Parking Fine Scam Alert!

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Scammers are targeting motorists with the PDRM parking fine scam! Make sure you warn your family and friends!

Here is what you need to know about the PDRM parking fine scam!

PDRM Parking Fine Scam Email

People are getting emails warning them that they just committed a parking violation, while offering them a cheap fine if they pay quickly.

Fines Inquiry and Payment

Dear recipient,

We are writing to draw your attention to a recent traffic violation in Malaysian jurisdiction.

Our traffic enforcement staff have observed your vehicle parked in a no-parking zone. This contravenes section (no. 2016-691] of the Road Traffic Act.

The fine is set at MYR 50. Payment of the fine is required within 7 days of the date of notification, to avoid further legal consequences.

If the fine is not paid within the time limit, you may be subject to legal action, resulting in an increase in the original fine.

Payment deadline: [08/26/2023]

Methods of payment accepted:

Cordially,

Malaysian Police Department

PDRM Parking Fine Email Is A Scam!

These PDRM parking fine emails are scam emails. This was confirmed by PDRM itself.

On 7 August 2023, the Cyber Crime division of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) posted an alert warning motorists not to fall for the MyBayar scam.

These emails are designed to scare its victims into action. Hence, it offers a very cheap way to quickly “settle the problem”. However, if you take a breath, and analyse the email CAREFULLY, you will see many problems with it.

Letter is from PDRM : The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will never write to you by email.
Letter is in English : The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will never write to you in English.
Typo in the name : The fake email used My Bayar PDRM, instead of MyBayar PDRM.
Lack of name and personal details : The fake email refers generically to “Dear recipient“, without listing your full name and MyKad number.
Lack of vehicle details : The fake email doesn’t mention the vehicle make and plate number.
Lack of location details : The fake email does not mention where the offence occurred, or even when it occurred.
Fine is much too low : PDRM traffic fines are never as low as RM50. The cheapest fine is RM150 for Category 4 offences, but you can pay as low as RM70 within 15 days.
No such law : The fake email refers to the Road Traffic Act. There is no such act in Malaysia. The proper name is the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333).
No such section : If you look at the Malaysia Road Transport Act 1987 (PDF download), you will see that there is no such thing as Section 2016-691.

The email appears to be from My Bayar PDRM (typo in the name), but if you inspect the email address, you will see that it was sent by “in-to-no-reply@silverbackgames.xxx” or “hello@sooqr.com” or some other email address.

Obviously, this email did not originate from an official PDRM email address! This should immediately tell you that this is a fake or scam email!

If you click on the Pay My Fine link in the scam email, you will be taken to a fake My Bayar PDRM website (with the same typo in the name).

You may notice that you now have 7 days to pay the RM 50 fine, instead of just 5 days in the email. Odd, isn’t it?

Also odd is the fact that the page does not mention your name, your MyKad number, your vehicle type and model, or even its plate number! The page also doesn’t mention where the offence took place, or the time you were caught committing said offence.

Do NOT proceed after this point… This is a scam website!

But if you have itchy fingers, and click on the Pay The Fine button, you will be asked to pay for the RM50 fine using your debit or credit card.

Needless to say, PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR DEBIT / CREDIT CARD DETAILS!!!

If you provide these scammers with your debit / credit card details and TAC / OTP numbers, they will be able to charge ANY AMOUNT they want to your credit card, or withdraw ANY AMOUNT they want from your bank account!

It’s even worse if you are asked to log into your bank account to pay the fine. DO NOT DO THAT!

If you provide them with your bank login and password, as well as OTP/TAC number, these scammers will be able to transfer money out of your bank account!

Please note – this is a scam! This is a phishing attack to gain access to your credit card and/or bank account.

Regardless of how you get any notification from PDRM about any traffic offence you may have committed, you should always check the status through these official MyBayar PDRM options:

MyBayar PDRM website : https://mybayar.rmp.gov.my/
MyBayar PDRM app for Android : Google Play Store
MyBayar PDRM app for iOS : Apple App Store

Please SHARE this warning with your family and friends!

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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 Chinese Driver Get Attacked With Axe For Honking?!

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Did a Chinese driver get attacked with an axe after he honked at a Malay driver in front of him?!

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

Claim : Chinese Driver Attacked With Axe After Honking!

People are now sharing four videos together with this viral message about a Chinese driver getting attacked with an axe after he honked at a Malay driver in front of him!

Forwarded by another chat group. The Chinese driver at the back horn the malay guy in front. Maybe the malay driver in bad mood took an axe and chopped him.

Be patience on the road and do not horn unnecessary.

I will not be posting the videos, because they are shocking in nature. However, these two screenshots should give you an idea of the violence, and the videos I’m referring to.

Truth : No Chinese Driver Was Hacked With Axe For Honking!

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

Fact #1 : Incident Occurred In Sabah

Let me start by pointing out that the viral videos are genuine, and were not edited. There was a recent incident where a man was hacked with an axe in Malaysia.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night, 9 August 2023, in Likas, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Fact #2 : The Man Did Not Honk At Anyone

The incident did not involve honking. The victim – a 37 year-old man, had earlier parked his car at an open space near Menara Kinabalu – the Sabah state administrative centre.

He was having a meal with his 30 year-old girlfriend in his parked car, when three men approached his car at around 9 PM. One of the three man then proceeded to attack the victim with an axe.

The couple managed to escape to the nearby Alamesra police station to seek help, and lodge a police report. The victim was later sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment. His girlfriend was not injured.

Fact #3 : Police Are Looking For The Three Men

The police are now looking for the three man to help with their investigation into the case – 37 year-old Withal Jalali, 27 year-old Abdel Jalali, and another man who has not been identified.

Those with information of the individuals or the incident are advised to come forward and report the matter at the nearest police station or contact the investigating officer Inspector Muhammad Khaidir Zakaria at 014-801-961.

Left : Winhal Jalali | Right : Abdel Jalali

Fact #4 : The Motive Was Not Road Rage

The man who attacked the victim with an axe is believed to be Winhal Jalali – the woman’s ex-husband.

The woman is believed to have married the suspect in 2015, before they divorced about a month ago. She has known the victim for six months before starting a romantic relationship two weeks ago.

Kota Kinabalu Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zaidi Abdullah confirmed the incident on Friday, 11 August 2023, stating:

The man suffered multiple injuries to his face, hands and foot following the attack. We believe the motive of the attack was jealousy.

The case is being investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt using a dangerous weapon.

Fact #5 : Victim’s Identity Is Still Unknown

The victim’s identity is currently unknown. The police have not revealed his name, much less his race. Therefore, there is no evidence that he is a Chinese man.

Until and unless the victim and/or the police reveals his identity and race, anyone who tells you that he is a Chinese man is likely telling a tall tale.

Fact #6 : Two Suspects Are Suluk

According to the Kota Kinabalu police, the two suspects who have been identified – Winhal Jalali and Abdel Jalali, are from the Suluk ethnic group.

In other words – the claim in the viral warning that the driver was attacked by a “moody Malay man” is categorically false.

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

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

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

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Did Taylor Swift Die Suddenly In Concert Car Crash?!

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Did Taylor Swift die suddenly from a tragic car crash, just after leaving her concert?!

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

Updated @ 2023-08-12 : Added new details, including updated MediaMass hoax
Updated @ 2023-07-02 : Added updated details
Originally posted @ 2023-06-03

Claim : Taylor Swift Just Died Suddenly In Car Accident!

A TikTok video which claims that Taylor Swift just died suddenly in a tragic car accident has gone viral. The video has been removed, and unfortunately, I was not able to grab a copy of it before it disappeared.

The viral TikTok video was posted by @taylor.fan17, and shows photos of Taylor Swift performing at her concerts, with a male narrator claiming that the singer died suddenly in a tragic car accident.

The video claimed that Taylor Swift’s car was hit by another car while she was leaving her show in Atlanta, and the unnamed driver was taken into custody, and is now awaiting a court trial for the crime.

Some people have also been sharing a photo of a mural showing that Taylor Swift did indeed die.

Truth : Taylor Swift Did Not Die Suddenly In Car Accident!

This is yet another example of celebrity FAKE NEWS created and propagated by people to gain notoriety, generate income from page views and/or YouTube advertising, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : No Legitimate Media Reported Her Death

That viral TikTok video has been circulating for weeks, but some people don’t seem to notice that no legitimate media has reported her death.

Taylor Swift is, arguably, one of the world’s most famous and influential singer today. A mega star, with a legion of fans who call themselves Swifties. If she just tripped in public, the paparazzi and celebrity blogs would have reported on the incident and analysed it to death.

If she got into any car accident, it would have been international news, even if she did not suffer so much as a scratch. Yet no legitimate media outlet reported that Taylor Swift died suddenly in a tragic car accident. Not even small-time celebrity blogs reported her death!

Fact #2 : Taylor Swift Is Still Alive + Well!

The viral video claimed that Taylor Swift died on Monday, May 1, 2023 – just after wrapping up her stop in Atlanta, Georgia for The Eras Tour.

Taylor Swift did not die, and is still very much alive and well, as of August 9, 2023. That was when she announced that she is releasing a re-recording – 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on October 27!

Tens of thousands of Swifties also sang with Taylor Swift that day on her last concert at the SoFi Stadium in Southern California.

“Here we are, on the last night of the U.S. leg of the Eras tour, in the eighth month of the year, on the ninth day (of the month),” Swift said to frenzied screams, before art for the upcoming “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” due Oct. 27, flashed on the gigantic screen behind her.

Needless to say, all that would not be possible if Taylor Swift died in car accident on Monday, May 1, 2023…

Fact #3 : Taylor Swift Memorial Mural Is From 2016

You may have seen people posting photos of a Taylor Swift memorial mural as evidence that she truly died.

The mural is real, and is located in Melbourne, Australia. However, it was created by Australian graffiti artist, Lushsux, to mark the “death” of Taylor Swift’s career in March 2016.

At that time, Kanye West released his single, Famous, with the lines:

I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex

Why? I made that bitch famous.

Taylor Swift then got into a spat with Kanye West and his then-wife, Kim Kardashian. That was when Lushsux created the mural, and posted a video of it on Instagram with this caption:

Please pay your respects at Hosier Lane today by laying flowers or lighting a candle in mourning, taken from us too soon sweet princess.

Fact #4 : Taylor Swift Death Hoax Is Driven By Fake Fact Check Too

This Taylor Swift death hoax, ironically, is also being driven by another fake fact check article by MediaMass Project.

News of singer Taylor Swift’s death spread quickly earlier this week causing concern among fans across the world. However the August 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. Thankfully, the singer best known for hit songs like You Belong with Me or Love Story is alive and well.

Rumors of the singer’s alleged demise gained traction on Thursday after a ‘R.I.P. Taylor Swift’ Facebook page attracted nearly one million of ‘likes’. Those who read the ‘About’ page were given a believable account of the American singer’s passing:

“At about 11 a.m. ET on Thursday (August 10, 2023), our beloved singer Taylor Swift passed away. Taylor Swift was born on December 13, 1989 in Reading. She will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”

Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 33-year-old singer and songwriter was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.

Where as some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report, as the death of a singer of Taylor Swift’s stature would be major news across networks.

Show less

Their claim of a viral R.I.P. Taylor Swift Facebook page is false. There is no such Facebook page. It is their standard fake fact check spiel for fake celebrity deaths.

The statement from Taylor Swift’s’ unnamed reps confirming that she is not dead is exactly the same as statements from other reps of celebrities MediaMass claimed were victims of death hoaxes, like Celine Dion, Clint Eastwood, Oprah Winfrey, Simon Cowell, Madonna, Toby Keith, Cristiano Ronaldo, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Justin Bieber, Robert Pattinson, Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman, Dolly Parton, Lucy Liu, and Melanie Laurent.

She joins the long list of celebrities who have been victimized by this hoax. She’s still alive and well, stop believing what you see on the Internet.

Hidden in the description page for the MediaMass Project is a disclaimer that it is a “satire” website. That’s the usual “cover” for websites peddling fake news.

Regardless of their reasons, anything posted by MediaMass.net must be considered as fake news, until proven otherwise.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Fake Celebrity News

This is yet another example of fake celebrity news created to generate page views and money through advertising, just like these examples:

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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PDRM Warning : Watch Out For MyBayar Scam!

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PDRM is warning motorists not to fall for the MyBayar scam! Here is what you need to know about the MyBayar PDRM scam!

PDRM Warning : Watch Out For MyBayar Scam

On 7 August 2023, the Cyber Crime division of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) posted an alert warning motorists not to fall for the MyBayar scam.

The MyBayar PDRM scam starts with an official-looking email that warns motorists that they have been caught contravening the law, and offers a cheap RM50 fine if paid within 5 days:

Last notice of contravention before prosecution

Dear recipient,

We are writing to draw your attention to a recent traffic violation in Malaysian jurisdiction.

Our traffic enforcement staff have observed your vehicle parked in a no-parking zone. This contravenes section (no. 2016-691] of the Road Traffic Act.

As a result of this infringement, a fine of MYR 50 has been imposed. This fine must be paid within 5 days of the date of this notification to avoid further legal consequences.

Failure to pay the fine within the allotted time may result in legal proceedings being taken against you, which could lead to increased fines, penalties and the possible suspension of your driving license.

MyBayar PDRM Scam : How Does It Work?!

Many people who received the MyBayar PDRM email might be shocked to find out that they were caught committing a traffic violation, and then relieved that it was only RM50 if they paid quickly.

That’s how the scammers trap their victims – by offering a cheap RM50 fine, when we all know that fines for traffic offences are at least RM150, and can go all the way up to RM1,000!

Those who received this fake MyBayar PDRM email would be tempted to quickly pay the cheap RM50 fine, before it becomes a lot more expensive!

But if you take a closer look at the email, you will spot some problems with it:

Weird English : The email title of “Last notice of contravention before prosecution” is nonsensical.
Typo in the name : The fake email used My Bayar PDRM, instead of MyBayar PDRM.
Lack of name and personal details : The fake email refers generically to “Dear recipient“, without listing your full name and MyKad number.
Lack of vehicle details : The fake email doesn’t mention the vehicle make and plate number.
Lack of location details : The fake email does not mention where the offence occurred, or even when it occurred.
Fine is much too low : PDRM traffic fines are never as low as RM50. The cheapest fine is RM150 for Category 4 offences, but you can pay as low as RM70 within 15 days.
No such law : The fake email refers to the Road Traffic Act. There is no such act in Malaysia. The proper name is the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333).
No such section : If you look at the Malaysia Road Transport Act 1987 (PDF download), you will see that there is no such thing as Section 2016-691.