Tag Archives: Wumao

Chinese Nuclear Plants Release More Tritium Than Fukushima?!

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

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

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

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

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

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

NHK World : 13 China plants released more tritium in 2021 than Fukushima annual total plan

Chinese statistics show that 13 nuclear power plants in China each released more radioactive tritium into the ocean in 2021 than the planned amount to be released from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in one year.

Chinese nuclear energy sector data show the Qinshan power plant in Zhejiang Province released 218 trillion becquerels of tritium in 2021. That is about ten times the maximum amount of tritium to be discharged from the Fukushima Daiichi plant in a year.

Kyodo News : Tritium at 13 China monitoring points above Fukushima water level

The Qinshan nuclear plant in the eastern Zhejiang Province discharged around 218 trillion becquerels of tritium in 2021, roughly 10 times the maximum annual release set for the Fukushima water at 22 trillion becquerels, according to the data from a yearbook on the Chinese nuclear power industry.

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

Truth : Chinese Nuclear Plants Release MORE Tritium Than Fukushima!

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

Fact #1 : The Articles Are By Mainstream Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #4 : Data Is Backed By Official Chinese Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #5 : Data Backed By Chinese Study

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

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

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

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

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Singapore Just Found NEW Radioactive Food From Japan?!

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

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

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

Claim : Singapore Found NEW Radioactive Food From Japan!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #1 : WSJ Podcast Is Genuine But Outdated

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #3 : Singapore Food Agency Refuted WSJ Podcast!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #4 : Singapore AVA Announcement Was From 2011

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

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

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

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

Fact #5 : Singapore Did Not Ban Japanese Food Imports

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #7 : This Is Just Fake News About Fukushima

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Is BlackRock The Largest Shareholder Of TEPCO?!

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

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

Claim : BlackRock Is The Largest TEPCO Shareholder!

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

Who is behind the discharge of Fukushima NUCLEAR CONTAMINATED water?

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

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

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

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

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

The whole world is already at war.

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

Truth : BlackRock Is Not Even Top 10 TEPCO Shareholder!

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

Fact #1 : No Japanese Company Attacked China In 1900

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

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

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

Fact #2 : TEPCO Was Never Renamed

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

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

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

Fact #3 : Japanese Government Is Largest TEPCO Shareholder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #6 : US Did Not Ban Japanese Seafood

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

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

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

Fact #7 : This Is Just Fake News About Fukushima

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

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

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

Please Support My Work!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #1 : EU Lifted Final Fukushima Food Import Restrictions

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #2 : EU Progressively Reduced Fukushima Food Import Restrictions

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

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

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

Fact #3 : China Did Not Suspend EU Seafood Imports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #7 : This Is Just Fake News About Fukushima

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

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

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

Please Support My Work!

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

Name : Adrian Wong
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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 Fukushima Just Release Black Radioactive Water?!

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

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

Claim : Fukushima Released Black Radioactive Water Into Ocean!

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

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

Give seafood a miss in the future!

Japan latest news..

The Truth About Viral Fukushima Black Radioactive Water Video!

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

Fact #1 : Viral Video Was Not Edited

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

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

Fact #2 : Viral Video Was Recorded In June 2020

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

Fact #3 : Viral Video Was Recorded In Mexico

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

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

Fact #4 : That Was Sewage, Not Radioactive Water

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a notice

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

❌The reason is radionuclide contamination.
Japan finally admits that its inability to control Fukushima’s daily discharge of millions of tons of radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean has caused many people to suffer from cancer or
Disease has seriously affected human beings and the ecological environment around the world. I can’t imagine it!
❌Don’t eat Japanese food.
💢In the coastal waters of the United States, it was found that the radioactivity value is getting higher and higher.
Try not to go to Japan, preferably not.
💢The Australian government has stopped visa issuance for Japanese,
💢 The US also stopped Japanese immigration to the US.
At present, the situation in Japan is more serious than we imagined. More than 70% of the entire Japanese territory is polluted.
Japan’s radioactive material has flowed into the ocean, and the affected area of the ocean is getting wider and wider.
It is more serious than imagined. The Japanese government is afraid of causing panic, and they will give up or lie to inform the surrounding people.
Japanese seafood, mushrooms do not eat.
After the last earthquake, radioactive material from the damaged Japanese nuclear power plant began to flow into the ocean or surrounding areas, and began to find
❌Deformed seafood and plants
❌ Mutated mushrooms
❌ mutated fish,
❌Varied seafood,
Foods exposed to radioactive substances will be induced within 1-2 years after eating
🅾️Esophageal cancer
🅾️Lymphoma
🅾️ Leukemia, etc., especially for young children, pregnant women will have a greater impact.
Neighboring countries have stopped seafood trade with Japan:
It is prohibited to import 📎herring, 📎shells, 📎shiitake mushrooms from Japan.
The fish caught in the waters near Japan had 380 times the radioactivity.
From now on, never eat Japanese seafood or sashimi.
Since the nuclear explosion of the tsunami in Japan, a survey of Chinese tourists to Japan who have traveled to Japan and eaten Japanese food many times shows that there are strange diseases of varying degrees, and they are on the rise!
And Japan’s radioactive nuclear-contaminated local products are all supplied to foreign tourists!
Japan eats food imported from other countries!
Dear friends and compatriots
For the health of your loved ones and the next generation, please share it in your WeChat space, and immediately boycott all nuclear-contaminated food in Japan.
Do not buy!
Remember!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #5 : US Did Not Suspend Japanese Immigration

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #8 : Harmful Radionuclides Were Removed From Wastewater

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

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

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

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

Fact #9 : Decontaminated Wastewater Used To Keep Reactors Cooled

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

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

Fact #10 : Excess Decontaminated Wastewater To Be Released

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

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

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

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

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

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Did Hong Kong Just Ban ALL Food From Japan?!

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

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

Claim : Hong Kong Just Banned All Food From Japan!

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

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

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

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

According to the Voice of the Greater Bay Area, the Japanese government announced that it will discharge Fukushima nuclear contaminated water enters sea

The Hong Kong SAR Government and the Macao SAR Government have decided from August 24, 2023, ban imports from Fukushima Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Shinju Prefecture, Nagano and Saitama Prefecture. A total of 10 prefectures including Saitama Prefecture and Tokyo

据@大湾区之声消息日本政府宣布将于近日排放福岛核污染水入海

香港特区政府和澳门特区政府决定从2023年8月24日起禁止进口源自福岛县，千叶县，枥木县，茨城县群马县，宫城县，新? 县，长野咸埼玉县及东京都共10个都县区

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #3 : Macau Banned Live + Fresh Food

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

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

Fact #4 : Only 10 Prefectures Are Affected

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

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

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

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

Fact #5 : Even China Only Banned Seafood From Japan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #7 : This Is Just Fake News About Fukushima

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

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

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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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Joe Biden Confused + Stuttering In Viral Interview?!

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Was Joe Biden confused and stuttering in a viral MSNBC interview with Nicolle Wallace?!

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

Claim : Joe Biden Was Confused + Stuttering In Viral Interview!

People are sharing a video of US President Joe Biden looking and sounding confused during an MSNBC interview. It has gone viral in MAGA groups, and is being promoted by pro-Russian and pro-CCP groups, as well as the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) .

OMG! President Of The United States? 🤦🏻‍♂️🫣🤣🤣

What’s wrong with him? What’s he rumbling about? 🤔😥🤦🏻‍♂️

Truth : Joe Biden Was Not Confused / Stuttering In Viral Interview!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS about Joe Biden, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Joe Biden Interview Aired On June 30, 2023

First, let me just point out that Nicolle Wallace from MSNBC interviewed Joe Biden in the viral interview on June 30, 2023. You can watch the full MSNBC interview here.

During that interview, Nicolle Wallace asked President Biden about the US Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action, as well as his administration’s foreign policy and other plans.

Fact #2 : Viral Video Was Fabricated

While the MSNBC interview did occur, the viral Joe Biden interview that has been circulating in MAGA, pro-CCP and pro-Russian groups is a complete fabrication.

President Joe Biden never spoke like that in the MSNBC interview. The original MSNBC interview proves that beyond doubt.

Fact #3 : Viral Video Was Likely A Deep Fake Video

The viral video appears to have modified using AI deep fake technology to change how and what Joe Biden said in the viral video. It does not appear to be done by editing and splicing parts of the interview.

For one thing, some of the words he said in the viral video do not appear in the original video. The background in the viral video also appear consistent even when Joe Biden was stuttering in the viral video.

All that suggest that AI deep fake technology was used to change what Joe Biden said in the viral interview video, and how he said it.

Fact #4 : No Mainstream Media Reported This

If President Joe Biden really looked and sounded confused, or stuttered repeatedly during the MSNBC interview, it would have been international news, not just limited to the United States.

All of the mainstream media would have covered it. Even if they didn’t, you can count on right-wing news outlets like Fox News, Newsmax, or One America News Network, to cover his confusion and stuttering 24/7.

Yet, not a single mainstream media outlet reported on this major embarrassment for President Joe Biden? That’s because it never happened.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Fake News About Joe Biden

This is just ultimately just another example of political fake news to smear Joe Biden, and here are other examples:

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

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

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Germany Just Accused US Of Blowing Up Nord Stream 2?!

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Did Germany just publicly accuse the US of blowing up Nord Stream 2 at the United Nations?!

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

Updated @ 2023-08-05 : Updated with a new YouTube channel.
Originally posted @ 2023-05-01

Claim : Germany Accuses US Of Blowing Up Nord Stream 2!

People are sharing a YouTube video which shows the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, publicly accusing the US of blowing up Nord Stream 2 at the United Nations!

Fierce and powerful recent speech of German Chancellor on Americans blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline, the aggressive using of Ukraine to start a war against Russia . ‘ We are the baddies’

BREAKING NEWS!!! Germany Accuses US Of Blowing Up Nord Stream 2.
Bravo – finally 👍👏

How To Be A Hypocrite Show How The Actions Of The West Divides The World Instead Of Bring It Together

Truth : Germany Did Not Accuse US Of Blowing Up Nord Stream 2!

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

Fact #1 : Olaf Scholz Was Denouncing Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine

I traced the video to a speech German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gave at the United Nations General Assembly’s 77th session on 20 September 2022

In the original, unedited video, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not accuse the US of blowing up the Nord Stream 2 pipelines. Instead, he denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:

There is no justification whatsoever for Russia’s war of occupation against Ukraine. President Putin is waging this war with one single objective: to seize Ukraine. Self-determination, political independence do not count for him.

And there’s only one word for this – this is imperialism, plain and simple. The return of imperialism is not only a disaster for Europe, but also a disaster for our global peaceful order.

If we want this war to end, then we cannot be indifferent to how it ends. Putin will only give up his war and his imperialist ambitions if he realizes that he cannot wi.

This is why we will not accept a peace dictated by Russia. This is why we will not accept any pretentious referenda. And this is why Ukraine must be able to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

Fact #2 : It Features A Fake “Satire” Voice-Over

The video is real, but the original audio was replaced by a fake male “satire” voice-over. The original, unedited video features a female interpreter, which you can view below.

The fake video creator actually mentioned this in the video’s title, but intentionally made the extra long to reduce visibility of that disclaimer. The fake news creator also mentioned the use of a fake voice-over in the description:

BREAKING NEWS!!! Germany Accuses US Of Blowing Up Nord Stream 2. (Satire Interpreter Voice)

How To Be A Hypocrite Show How The Actions Of The West Divides The World Instead Of Bring It Together. Satire Interpreter Voice To Show What The Rest Of The World World Prefer.

This goes to show just how many people don’t bother to even read the title. Of course, when it comes to pro-Russia and pro-CCP netizens, who cares? If it is anti-America, it must be true.

Fact #3 : It Was Posted By A New “Parody” YouTube Account

The viral video was posted by a new YouTube account created on March 15, 2023.

So far, this YouTube channel – AlienJacket, posted six anti-Western videos – five of which are fake “parody” videos.

The only non-parody video is of Zambian politician Fred M’membe criticising the United States at China’s recent “democracy forum” – the the Second International Forum on Democracy.

Despite being reported as misinformation, YouTube allowed the video to chalk up over 103,000 views over 3 months… and counting.

Fact #4 : It Was Reposted By MVO Channel

Perhaps impressed by how many views the fake video that AlienJacket created drew, a new YouTube channel called MVO Channel reposted the video in May 2023.

Again, YouTube left the video untouched, despite being reported as misinformation…

Fact #5 : Unknown Who Destroyed Nord Stream 2 Pipelines

It is currently unknown who destroyed the Nord Stream 2 pipelines. As far as plausible reasons go, many countries had plausible reasons to destroy the Nord Stream pipelines:

US : To prevent allies in Europe from being held hostage by their reliance on cheap Russian gas.
UK : To encourage allies in Europe to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
Russia : To stop supplying Europe without breaking its gas supply contracts, and/or to divide Europe.
Ukraine : To unite Europe against Russia.

While motive is important, it is not evidence that a country has committed the crime. There has to be actual evidence that the US / UK / Russia / Ukraine did it.

Regardless of what armchair experts may claim, there is simply no conclusive evidence YET that any of those countries are responsible for the destruction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.

Fact #6 : This Is Pro-Russia Propaganda

This is really nothing more than yet another example of pro-Russia propaganda, like these examples:

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

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

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Did Donald Trump Praise China In 2024 Campaign Speech?!

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Did Donald Trump just praise China in his 2024 presidential campaign speech?! Find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Donald Trump Praised China In 2024 Campaign Speech!

Pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are sharing this message on WhatsApp and social media, which claims that Donald Trump just praised China in his 2024 presidential campaign speech.

It’s very long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

😂😂😂 Trump put it well as a political speech. He may win the presidency election in 2024, knowing America have many crazy people, especially Republicans in middle of USA!

Trump delivered his next presidential midterm election speech yesterday, which is worth watching by every Chinese!

Trump’s presidential campaign speech yesterday was as follows:

What have we gained from America’s 20-year push for democracy around the world? Over the past two decades, we have vigorously promoted democracy as an international policeman and a democracy fighter. With guns and dollars, we Americans have taken down Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Gaddafi in Libya, Syria, Egypt, Ukraine, Turkey, and Greece in 20 years.

Ask what we Americans got. Our businessmen dare not go to the Middle East and Africa to do business, they dare not fly the national flag in the Brazil Olympics, and as long as they admit that they are Americans in the oil-producing regions of the Middle East, it is a direct act of death. Offended Putin, offended the EU, offended China.

The United States controls high technology, and we can’t do China in international trade. We have to abandon the WTO to engage in TPP. Look at what China has achieved in the past 20 years. Not only did they take away our No. 1 spot in the WTO, they also bought 80 percent of the world’s steel, 40 percent of oil and gas, 70 percent of soybeans, and 80 percent of copper. And gold, bought Ukrainian aircraft carriers, Israeli missiles, German machine tools and French wine. It’s all fucking bought in dollars.

They bought our food, sold us spicy strips and instant noodles, bought our steel, sold us bikini panties. Bought our oil, sold us toys. This is not the main thing. China now uses the US dollar as a guarantee for the internationalization of the renminbi. Even if the renminbi is worthless, it can be exchanged for US dollars immediately. Everyone knows that they have a lot of US dollars, more than us.

Damn, Africa was taken away by them, and that’s what happened to us. I absolutely don’t support Obama’s TPP, I want to make Democratic Obama and Hillary the biggest idiots in American history. I am your next president, please support me, we will be honorable and independent, whoever has the money will do business with whom, and we will live a good life.

In the past 20 years, the suicide rate in rural China has dropped by 90%, the illiteracy rate has dropped to less than 10%, life expectancy has increased by more than 10 years, private cars have never been in traffic jams nationwide, high-speed rail accounts for 70% of the world, and soon 500,000 people All cities have high-speed rail links, and highways are connected to more than 2,000 counties.

The longest bridge in the world, the tallest bridge, the most difficult bridge, and the Chinese people don’t take it seriously. The Chinese people are rich in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. New York, which is about to catch up with ours, is going to get divorced and scrambled. Chinese people are anxious about which country they don’t travel to.

If the Chinese don’t buy it, the world’s iron ore and oil will plummet. What’s even more annoying is that basically no terrorist activities dare to carry out in China. … America has become a hopeless country living on a huge dollar bubble… Vote for me, only I can save this bad America!

Even the President of the United States sees China this way, why do we not love our motherland? Chinese people, unite, fight for the rejuvenation of China, and build the Great Wall of Steel for the motherland!

Forward it to your friends – Chinese people must forward it! Thank you Trump for advertising us in the world for free.

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Truth : Donald Trump Praised China In 2024 Campaign Speech!

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

Fact #1 : This Message First Appeared In Jan. 2022

This viral message does not appear to be new. The first example appeared in a Singapore forum on 19 January 2022, and appears to be a copy and paste of a WhatsApp / social media post.

The message then went viral in August 2023, after the website inf.news reposted it verbatim, with the title Look what Trump thinks of China.

Fact #2 : Trump Only Announced 2024 Presidential Bid In Nov 2022

It is impossible for that speech to be Trump’s presidential campaign speech in January 2022, when Donald Trump only announced his 2024 presidential campaign on 16 November 2022 – 9 months later.

Fact #3 : That Was Not A Donald Trump Speech

Anyone who has ever seen Donald Trump speak would immediately know that he never speaks like that in any speech. Even without looking up the speech online, it is already obvious that the viral Donald Trump speech praising China is fake.

But a quick check online confirmed that that speech was never written or uttered by Donald Trump, whether in 2022, or in 2023.

Fact #4 : There Is A Lot Of Odd Phrasing

There is a lot of odd phrasing in the fake Donald Trump speech that suggest that it was really written by a Chinese native, and not a Chinese person who grew up in the US, Singapore, or even Malaysia.

I am your next president, please support me, we will be honorable and independent, whoever has the money will do business with whom, and we will live a good life.

The Chinese people are rich in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. New York, which is about to catch up with ours, is going to get divorced and scrambled.

What’s even more annoying is that basically no terrorist activities dare to carry out in China.

Fact #5 : Donald Trump Would Never Call America Bad

Regardless of what we may think of Donald Trump, he would never call America bad. He is, after all, running to be US President again!

Vote for me, only I can save this bad America!

It would be incredibly stupid to call America bad. In fact, it would have been a political scandal, with his Republican rivals and the Democrats criticising him for being unpatriotic.

Fact #6 : Donald Trump Started Trade War With China

It is also rather absurd to claim that Donald Trump would praise China, when he was the one who initiated a trade war with China.

As US President, Donald Trump ordered the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to investigate Chinese economic practices in August 2017.

When the USTR report was released in March 2018, Trump ordered the imposition of tariffs on Chinese products, filed a WTO case against China, and imposed restrictions on Chinese investments in US high-tech sectors.

Fact #7 : This Is Shameless Chinese Propaganda

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

All of the wumao articles that I looked at so far have proven to be false… in every instance. So please watch out for such false claims. Here are other recent examples:

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

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

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Did Ukrainians Attack Russian Woman With Putin Tattoo?!

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

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

Claim : Ukrainians Attacked Russian Woman With Putin Tattoo!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #1 : The Video Was Originally Released On Telegram

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

Fact #2 : The Video Was Recorded In Vladivostok

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

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

Fact #3 : The Video Was Edited

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

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

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

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

Fact #4 : Table Umbrellas Have Russian Words

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

C УВАЖЕНИЕМ К ДРУЖБЕ И [unreadable]
С 1870 ГОДА

WITH RESPECT FOR FRIENDSHIP AND [unreadable] SINCE 1870

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

МОРОЖеНОЕ!

ICE-CREAM!

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

Fact #5 : No Evidence Woman Had Putin Tattoo

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

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

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

Fact #6 : This Is Just Russian Propaganda

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

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

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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 Russian Missiles Destroy Port Of Odessa In Ukraine?!

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Did Russian missiles hit British ships that exploded and destroyed the port of Odessa in Ukraine?!

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

Claim : Russian Missiles Destroyed Port Of Odessa In Ukraine!

Pro-Russian propagandists and supporters (vatniks) are promoting a video that claims to show Russian missiles hitting two British ships carrying explosives, trigging a massive explosion that destroyed the port of Odessa in Ukraine!

BULLSEYE ! 🎯.

The port of Odessa, Ukraine, was hit by four Russian missiles that hit two British cargo ships that were just below the ground, triggering a massive EXPLOSION.

Great shot. Brits ships carrying high explosives to Ukraine . . mischief tsk tsk ! 🤔🤨😱

The video, which is about 1 minute and 55 seconds long, is also being shared by Chinese netizens in the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), and by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) in WhatsApp and Western social media platforms.

Truth : Russian Missiles Did Not Destroy Odessa Or British Ships!

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

Fact #1 : Those Videos Are Over 3 Years Old!

First, let me start by pointing out that this incident did not occur in 2023. The videos were actually recorded at approximately 6 PM on Tuesday, 4 August 2020.

The explosions not only occurred 18 months before Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, they occurred almost 3 years ago!

Fact #2 : The Explosions Occurred In Beirut, Not Odessa

The massive explosions in the viral video did not occur in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, but literally – a thousand miles away, at the port city of Beirut, Lebanon.

On 4 August 2020, a fire broke out in Warehouse 12 at the port of Beirut. Warehouse 12 contained 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, as well as fireworks.

About 20 minutes later, the first explosion at the warehouse sent a large cloud of smoke billowing into the evening sky, with bright firework flashes.

Then 35 seconds later, the fire triggered a much larger explosion with a massive shock wave that rocked Beirut, and was felt as far away as Israel and Cyprus – more than 240 kilometres away!

The force of the explosion was estimated to be around 500 to 1,100 tons of TNT, with the US Geological Survey measuring the event as equivalent to a 3.3 magnitude earthquake!

Fact #3 : Russia Is Blockading Ukrainian Ports

Even though many Western countries have provided Ukraine with billions in dollars worth of military equipment and other forms of aid, they are not being delivered with ships. That’s because Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports along the Black Sea.

Even though ships were allowed to enter the port of Odessa under the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative, they were only allowed to transport grain and other food products, and fertiliser.

Ships involved in this initiative were inspected to ensure they would not be carrying unauthorised cargo or people. So it is impossible for any British ship to transport high explosives to the Port of Odessa.

Fact #4 : UK Aid Are Delivered By Land + Air

The United Kingdom provides billions of dollars worth of military equipment, including high explosives and ammunition to Ukraine. However, none of them are being delivered through ships due to the Russian naval blockade, as mentioned above.

Instead, the military equipment and other aid are being delivered through at least three NATO countries adjoining Ukraine. To avoid accusations that NATO is directly involved in the Ukraine War, the equipment are transported or flown to the Ukrainian border.

After that, Ukrainians either transport the equipment over the border, or take possession of them at the border.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Ukraine War Fake News

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

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

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Did Asian Lady Shoot American Bully At Gas Station?!

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Did an Asian lady shoot dead an American bully who assaulted her at a gas station?!

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

Claim : Asian Lady Shot American Bully At Gas Station?!

People are sharing a video showing a man approaching a lady, and opening her car door before hitting her. She drives off a short distance, causing the man to drop two items on the floor. The man catches up with the car again, and opens the door, for the lady to shoot him several times.

Pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are sharing this video as evidence of racist Americans targeting Chinese people:

‘Wow… the Chinese in America are no longer taking trash from these American rogues. Good on her!!! l read every Asian American is buying arms to protect himself/herself from these racist gangsters and bullies.

Gun rights supporters are also sharing it as an example of how guns save lives:

Patrick Parsons : Thug attacks woman at a gas station. She shoots him. #SlugsForThugs RT if you believe GUNS SAVE LIVES!

Ironically, Stew Peters believes it was a white person fighting back against black people!

Stew Peters : Whites are fighting back!

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Baltimore-gas-station-shooting.mp4?_=2

Truth : No Asian Lady Shot That Man At The Gas Station!

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

Fact #1 : It Was An Old Video

First, let me start by pointing out that this incident did not occur in 2023. The video was actually recorded on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at the Exxon gas station near Honeygo Boulevard and White Marsh Mall in Baltimore, Maryland.

Fact #2 : It Was Not A Drug Deal Gone Bad

Some websites and people are claiming that the lady was a drug dealer who tried to sell drugs (weed / marijuana) to the man’s kids at the gas station, which was why the man confronted her.

That’s not true. The shooter was not attempting to sell drugs to anyone at the gas station.

Fact #3 : That Was Not An Asian Lady

Now, this may surprise you, but that Asian lady in the video isn’t actually a lady. It was a man with long hair tied in a ponytail.

Some websites and people falsely claimed that it was the woman’s boyfriend in the car who fired the gun. That’s not true either. There was only one person in the car.

There is also no indication the shooter was Asian, or that racism had anything to do with the incident.

Fact #4 : The “Lady” Cut Queue In The Store

A witness to the shooting, Daijuan Jett, was 10 feet away when the shooting occurred. He explained that the incident started in the gas station store, while he was queuing up to buy a drink.

The shooter (A), who was actually a man (and not a white / Asian lady), cut in front of people queuing up, causing another man (B) to speak up and ask him to get to the back of the line.

He was trying to cut in front of everyone in the line, and the victim, which was shot at—he was telling the guy that was cutting in front of everyone to get behind everyone.

Jett said that A stepped out of the line after being confronted and returned to his car. B followed him to his car, to give A a piece of his mind. That was when things went sideways.

He opened the driver’s door and let the man know…the guy that was in the car, the suspect, he grabbed a gun and just fired about five or six shots.

Fact #5 : The Victim Was Shot Twice

The victim was shot twice in his upper body, and taken to the hospital. It is unknown how he fared after the shooting.

He also appeared to be the driver of the red car seen across the shooter’s car. His car was removed from the gas station at around 10:50 PM later that night.

Fact #6 : This Video Is Being Abused By Different Parties

This video is, unfortunately, being abused by different parties to drive narratives that are contrary to what actually happened.

Pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are using the video to promote the idea that Americans are racist and violent, while gun rights supporters are promoting it as evidence that guns save lives.

As you have seen – the truth is they were all lying / misrepresenting the video. Here are other examples you may have seen on WhatsApp or social media platforms recently:

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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 Woman Smash Bottles Of Alcohol In Lawless US?!

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Does a viral video show a woman smashing hundreds of bottles of alcohol in lawless US?!

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

Claim : Woman Smashed Bottles Of Alcohol In Lawless US!

Pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are sharing this video on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok) and WhatsApp, as evidence of a lawless US.

The video shows a woman smashing hundreds of bottles of alcohol, allegedly in a Walmart store in the United States. It’s accompanied by messages like this:

‘Zero dollar shopping’ can only take away all you can grab. This one, just destroy everything on site.

No wonder Walmart will close 21 stores in 12 US states and Washington DC. Four Chicago stores are among the latest to join the list.

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Woman-smashes-bottles-of-alcohol.mp4?_=3

Truth : Woman Did Not Smash Bottles Of Alcohol In US!

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

Fact #1 : This Video Was Edited

First, let me just point out that the viral video clip was edited, presumably to cast a different light on the story.

The video clip was cut short so you won’t see a security officer leading her away. It was also flipped in half the video to extend the video and make it look like the woman was doing more damage than she really was, and possibly to make it harder for people to locate the source of the video.

Fact #2 : Viral Video Was Recorded In 2020

The viral video isn’t new, even though the wumao and pro-CCP netizens are suggesting it just happened. The video was actually recorded at around 2:30 PM on Thursday, 25 November 2020.

Fact #3 : Viral Video Was Recorded In The United Kingdom

While the wumao and pro-CCP netizens are promoting the video as evidence of a lawless US (as opposed to the glorious security of CCP-controlled China), the viral video was not even recorded in the United States!

The incident also did not occur in a Walmart. The viral video was recorded at an Aldi store, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Fact #4 : The Woman Did Not Steal Anything

While the wumao and pro-CCP netizens are promoting the video as evidence of rampant theft (because no one steals in CCP-controlled China?), the woman did not steal a thing!

The woman – 36 year-old Barbara Stange-Alvarez of Swingate, used her arm to sweep hundreds of bottles of alcohol off the shelves at Aldi the aisle containing bottles of alcohol, and started sweeping bottles off the shelves, before picking them up one by one to smash on the floor.

About 90 seconds into her smashing spree, she slipped and fell onto the broken glass, cutting her hand. A security officer from another store arrived and detained her until police arrived. They then took her to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, where she kicked a security guard in the shin and hurled racial insults at him.

Barbara was charged with criminal damage, racially-motivated common assault, and racially-aggravated public order offence. She was not charged with theft.

Fact #5 : The Woman Was Mentally Unwell

Stange-Alvarez later told the St. Albans Magistrates’ Court that she was “suffering from mental health issues” because she was unable to work during the pandemic. She also said she was not receiving the treatment she thought she should have.

On the day she smashed those bottles, she visited a local mental health clinic seeking help, but was unhappy with the response and “lost the plot”.

On 18 January 2022, Barbara Stange-Alvarez was given a 12-week sentence suspended for 18 months, and required to undergo mental health treatment and rehabilitation, as well as pay Aldi £5,000 in compensation, and court costs of £85.

Fact #6 : Walmart Closing 23 Stores Due To Poor Performance

The fake news creator copied the phrase “Walmart will close 21 stores in 12 states and DC. Four Chicago stores are among the latest to join the list.” from a Business Insider article, without actually reading it properly.

The article actually states that, in addition to those 12 retail stores, Walmart is also closing pick-up only stores in Illinois and Arkansas. That’s a total of 23 stores.

Theft at Walmart stores has always been an issue, as Walmart CEO Doug McMillion pointed out, but it does not mean the stores will close because of it:

Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been. Prices will be higher and/or stores will close.

Walmart has been quietly closing stores every year since 2019, because they were “underperforming” and had “poor financial performance”.

Fact #7 : This Is Shameless Chinese Propaganda

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

All of the wumao articles that I looked at so far have proven to be false… in every instance. So please watch out for such false claims. Here is just the latest dozen,.

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

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

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Uncle Roger Cancelled In China After Xi Jinping Joke!

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Malaysian comedian Uncle Roger just got cancelled from Chinese social media platforms after making jokes about Xi Jinping and China!

Uncle Roger Cancelled In China After Xi Jinping Joke!

Uncle Roger just got cancelled from Chinese social media platforms after making jokes about Xi Jinping and China!

The Malaysian comedian, whose real name is Nigel Ng, said that his accounts on Bilibili and Weibo where he has 400,000 followers, were suspended due to a “violation of relevant laws and regulations“!

This crackdown by Chinese authorities came after he posted a video clip on Twitter and YouTube called “Uncle Roger about to get cancelled“.

In that video clip, which appears to be from an undated standup show, Uncle Roger cracked some jokes about China and Taiwan.

Uncle Roger : Are you from Boston?

Audience : Originally from Guangzhou.

Uncle Roger : Guangzhou, China. China, okay, China. Good country. Good country. Good country. Good country. Phew! We have to say that now, correct? All the phone listening. All the phone listening. This nephew got HUAWEI phone. They all listening.

Uncle Roger (tapping his phone) : All our phone tap into it. Long live President Xi. Long live President Xi. Phew! Uncle Roger social credit score going up. Nice.

Uncle Roger : Any niece and nephew from Taiwan?

[Audience woos]

Uncle Roger : Not a real… not a real country. I hope one day you rejoin the motherland. One China.

[Audience laughs]

Uncle Roger : No, don’t clap too hard. This not political show. No, don’t clap. Uncle Roger gonna get cancelled after tonight.

Uncle Roger (looking at audience member) : Nice. Go write good report for Uncle Roger, okay? Dear CCP, Uncle Roger good comrade. Good comrade. Don’t make him disappear, please.

Even though both Twitter and YouTube are not accessible in China, Chinese authorities apparently felt aggrieved enough to order the cancellation of Uncle Roger’s social media accounts in China.

Uncle Roger about to get cancelled.

🎟️ Buy the FULL SHOW now to watch from home: https://t.co/ebzr06mDV9

Dropping June 4 on @momentworld pic.twitter.com/zmYtTp0tBh

— Nigel Ng (Uncle Roger) (@MrNigelNg) May 15, 2023

Uncle Roger Proves Chinese Cancel Culture + Rides Controversy!

Despite being cancelled on Chinese social media, and losing access to thousands of his fans, this appears to be a deliberate and incredibly smart move by Nigel Ng.

Chinese comedian Li Haoshi (who goes by the stage name, House), was just arrested and fined $2.1 million for making a joke about a Xi Jinping slogan. So Nigel Ng is well aware of the danger of criticising Xi Jinping and/or the CCP government.

Yet, he deliberately dropped the video clip on Twitter and YouTube right after the Li Haoshi controversy exploded, with the title “Uncle Roger about to get cancelled“. And the CCP government in China took his bait, and promptly cancelled him.

In one swoop, Nigel made his Uncle Roger character famous worldwide. His cancellation is now international news, exposing millions of people to his jokes and character. His 400,000 Weibo fans are now a drop in the bucket. His two video clips have now been viewed MILLIONS of times!

And thanks to his newfound fame and reach, Nigel Ng should see a huge boost in pre-order of the full video which is set to be released on June 4, 2023.

By taking Nigel’s bait, the CCP government just showed the world how it does not operate according to the rule of law. Rather, the CCP government under President Xi Jinping operates autocratically using the rule by law. Anyone who offends Xi Jinping or the CCP government in any way, will get the law thrown at them, whether it is right or not.

The controversy also highlighted the difference between CCP-controlled mainland China, and democratic Taiwan. Even though Uncle Roger in the clip called Taiwan “not a real country”, he was not cancelled in Taiwan because Taiwan not only allows free speech, it protects that right in its constitution.

Nigel Ng certainly isn’t losing any sleep over getting cancelled by the CCP government in China, because he now lives in the United Kingdom where free speech is also protected. In fact, he just doubled down by reposting the video on Twitter, with the message “for some reason this clip got a ton of views this past weekend. I wonder why” together with a pre-order link for his full video.

I should point out that this is not Nigel Ng’s first rodeo with Chinese nationalists.. In January 2021, he was severely criticised on Weibo for collaborating with Chinese-American YouTuber Mike Chen, who is well-known for his critical views of the CCP government.

Even though both did not mention politics during their vote, the social media backlash forced Nigel to apologise for the collaboration, even acknowledging that the video created a “bad social impact”. At that time, he removed all videos involving Mike Chen – which drew criticism that he was too weak.

However, it appears that Nigel Ng may have grown some cojones since then. Good for him!

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Did US + UK Create COVID-19 As Bioweapon?!

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Did the US and UK governments create COVID-19 as part of a coronavirus bioweapon project since 1965?!

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

Claim : US + UK Created COVID-19 As Bioweapon!

People are sharing TikTok, YouTube and Rumble videos of David E. Martin at International COVID Summit III, explaining how the US and UK governments allegedly developed the coronavirus as a bioweapon since discovering it in 1965.

Some are sharing it as evidence that COVID-19 was created as a bioweapon, while pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are sharing it as evidence that the COVID-19 was created by the West, not China!

“This [covid] is an act of biological and chemical warfare perpetrated on the human race” Dr David Martin International Covid Summit, European Parliament:

COVID was First Isolated in 1965. Pfizer’s First Spike Protein Patent was filed in 1990. That’s Also When They Found Out That Vaccines For COVID Can’t Work. – Dr David Martin International COVID Summit III – European Parliament, Brussels 05.04.2023

Folks – listen to this to understand where covid came from.

Finally, we know the true culprit that created and caused the Covid-19 pandemic which killed millions, so who is the evil of the world today…..China or the USA?

Was the COVID-19 coronavirus developed as a bioweapon?!

Here's my fact check : https://t.co/n8cqRxI8R7 #TechARP #COVID19 #Coronavirus #BioWeapon #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Hoax #Fake #FakeNews #Health #Science #Medicine #DiedSuddenly #Viral #Video #TikTok #Rumble #YouTube pic.twitter.com/ZddBgAYAqC

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) May 22, 2023

No Evidence US + UK Created COVID-19 As Bio-Weapon!

This appears to be yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter, and here are the reasons why!

Fact #1 : It Was From International COVID Summit III

The viral video clip above is from the International COVID Summit III, which appears to be a private conference organised by COVID-19 conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccination activists:

Held in the Anna Lindh room of the European Parliament, it was not an official EU or European Parliament event, and had only 5 MEPs attend as “co-hosting members” of the event.

You can read all about the ICS3 in my earlier article, Why International COVID Summit III Criticised Vaccine!

Fact #2 : Coronavirus Was First Isolated In 1930s

David Martin said that the first coronavirus as a model of a pathogen was isolated in 1965. Well, I have no idea what he meant by “as a model of a pathogen”, but that’s wrong on several counts.

first coronavirus sample (IBV) was isolated in 1930s
second coronavirus sample (MHV) was isolated in 1947
third coronavirus sample (B814) was isolated in 1961
fourth coronavirus sample (229-E) was isolated in 1966
all four virus samples were determined to be from same group, and named “coronavirus” in 1967

The first known sample of a coronavirus was isolated and identified as a virus in 1933. That virus was called infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in 1936, but later renamed as Avian coronavirus.

The second sample of a coronavirus was discovered in 1947. At that time, it was also not known as a coronavirus, but called mouse hepatitis virus (MHV). It would later be renamed as Murine coronavirus.

In 1961, a sample was isolated from a British schoolboy who was suffering from the common cold. That sample, designated as B814, was later confirmed to be a novel (new) virus in 1965. However, it was not called a coronavirus in 1965 either.

In 1966, new samples of a different virus – designated 229-E, were collected from University of Chicago medical students suffering from the common cold. Even then, that virus was not known as a coronavirus.

Fact #3 : Coronavirus Was Identified + Named In 1967

In the video, David Martin appears to say that the “coronavirus was identified in 1965 as one of the first infectious, replicatable viral models that could be used to modify a series of to her experiences of human conditions“.

I have no idea what most of the word salad meant, including the word “replicatable”, but I can tell you that the coronavirus was only identified as a new group of viruses in 1967, not 1965.

Remember the four coronavirus samples that were collected earlier? They were new viruses, but were not known as coronavirus at that time. It was only in 1967 that an electron microscope analysis of those four different viral samples showed that all four viruses belong to the same group.

It was only in 1967, that June Almeida and David Terrell made that discovery, and called the new group of viruses “coronavirus”, based on the characteristic spikes on their surfaces that make them look like the sun’s corona.

Fact #4 : 1967 Experiment Did Not Involve Human Manipulation

In the video, David Martin appears to say that “in 1966, the very first CoV coronavirus model was used as a transatlantic biological experiment in human manipulation“.

He would later repeat this saying “in 1967 – the year I was born, we did the first human trials on inoculating people with modified coronavirus“.

He listed his source as the 1967 study called Effects of a “New” Human Respiratory Virus in Volunteers (PDF download). He may have mixed up his dates a little. In any case, his claim is wrong on multiple levels:

that was the fourth and most recent coronavirus sample – 229-E
the virus was not known to be a coronavirus at that time
the study did not involve human manipulation

What the British scientists did was give the 229-E virus to volunteers to determine :

if it causes colds, and
the serum neutralising antibody when infected with viruses of this type

There was no manipulation and no modification of the 229-E virus sample before it was given to volunteers.

Fact #5 : Biological Weapons Convention Only Began In 1975

In the video, David Martin appears to wonder, “Where were we when we actually allowed, in violation of biological and chemical weapons treaties? Where were we, as a human civilisation, when we thought it was an acceptable thing to do to take a pathogen from the United States and infect the world with it? Where was that conversation and what should have been that conversation in 1967? “.

Well, for one thing – the 1967 experiment happened long before the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) came into effect on 26 March 1975. There was no conversation to be had.

In addition, the BWC does not limit scientific experiments on viruses, so even if it had been in effect, the 1967 experiment on volunteers would not have breached its rules as it was not being developed as a bioweapon! Again, there was no conversation to be had.

Fact #6 : There Are Many Coronavirus Species

The coronavirus family consists of a multitude of different viruses, with completely different characteristics. Think of them as car models – they are all cars, but every model has a different look and different characteristics.

Hence, it is wrong to associate past coronaviruses with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Any genetic link has to be determined by its genetic code, not by when a virus was discovered!

By 2020, scientists have discovered at least 45 coronavirus species, which were classified into four different genera – Alphacoronavirus, Betacoronavirus, Deltacoronavirus, and Gammacoronavirus.

SARS-CoV-2 is a Betacoronavirus that is most closely related to SARS-CoV-1 – the virus that caused the SARS outbreak in 2002-2004. However, it was a novel (new) coronavirus when it was discovered, and was not derived / engineered / developed from SARS-CoV-1.

There is simply no evidence to suggest that SARS-CoV-2 was developed as a bioweapon from the SARS-CoV-1, or any other coronavirus species.

Fact #7 : No Evidence SARS-CoV-2 Was Engineered

What David Martin said at the International COVID Summit sounds startling, but if you analyse his word salad and sources carefully, you will realise that he has not actually offered any evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 was engineered in any way, much less developed as a bioweapon!

It is plausible that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was created in the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and accidentally released in a leak of some sort, but that has never proven one way or another. It is just as plausible that it was brought into Wuhan by some yet-to-be-identified animal host.

There is currently no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 was engineered and released as a bioweapon.

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Indian Robot Dancers @ Shanghai Disneyland?!

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Did China create these amazing Indian robot dancers at the Shanghai Disneyland?!

Watch the viral clip for yourself, and find out what the FACTS really are!

Claim : China Created Indian Robot Dancers At Shanghai Disneyland!

Here is the video that people are sharing on WhatsApp and social media platforms. It is often paired with a short explanation in English.

Watch this dance carefully. Dancing at Disneyland in Shanghai. These two are not human dancers, *But two robots made in China. *The duration of the dance h is only five minutes. But the waiting time to buy tickets to see this dance is 4 hours. Tickets to see this dance cost 499 yuan, which is equivalent to 75 dollars. Robots’ facial expressions are so perfect that it’s hard to distinguish them from real people.

Did China create these amazing Indian robot dancers at the Shanghai Disneyland?! 😮

Here are the facts : https://t.co/CvhSNWhgNf #TechARP #ShanghaiDisneyland #Disneyland #Disney #China #Wumao #India #Dancer #Dance #Classical #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Robot #Robotics #Fake pic.twitter.com/p5XrLK7GAn

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) May 19, 2023

They Are NOT Indian Robot Dancers At Shanghai Disneyland!

The agility and grace of these dancers are amazing, but they are NOT Indian robot dancers created by China for Shanghai Disneyland!

The less gullible would point out that it is something you would only expect from human Indian dancers, and they would be right.

Fact #1 : This Is An Old Video From 2017

While this video has only started circulating in April-May 2023, the original video was posted on YouTube in August 2017 – more than 5 years ago!

The original video is called “Vahana Alarippu: Bharatanatyam Dance | Best of Indian Classical Dance”, and is 23 seconds longer than the viral video, with a different audio track.

Fact #2 : Those Are Professional Indian Classical Dancers!

The two dancers are professional Indian classical dancers called Sophia Salingaros and Isha Parupudi.

It is unknown where this dance actually took place. The description did not mention a location. But it is more than certain that this dance did not occur at the Shanghai Disneyland!

Fact #3 : 499 Yuan Was Old Entry Price To Shanghai Disneyland

The fake story claimed that the ticket to watch this performance costs 499 Yuan – about US$73 / £55 / RM303. That would be ridiculously exorbitant for a single show.

In truth, that was the cost of an entry ticket to the Shanghai Disneyland when it first opened in February 2016.

Since 6 June 2018, it has been priced at 399 Yuan (off-peak), 575 Yuan (peak) and 665 Yuan (peak holiday).

In 23 June 2023, Shanghai Disneyland raised prices again, with a Regular ticket at 435 Yuan. Regular Plus ticket at 545 Yuan, Peak ticket at 659 Yuan, and Peak Plus ticket at 769 Yuan.

Fact #4 : Disneyland Does Not Charge Extra To Watch Certain Shows

Anyone who has been to Disneyland knows that the entry fee is pricey. That’s because it covers all rides and shows inside Disneyland.

You only need to pay for food and drinks, and arcade games. Or if you opt to purchase Disney Fastpasses (Fastpass, FastPass+, MaxPass) to bypass long queues at popular rides or shows.

Otherwise, all rides and shows are free to enjoy once you enter Disneyland.

Fact #5 : That Is The Third Fake Video Of Shanghai Disneyland Robot Dancers!

This is actually the third fake video of robot dancers at the Shanghai Disneyland. It’s absurd how people keep passing off videos of real dancers as robot dancers!

This one circulated earlier, claiming to be of a female robot dancer that handily beats all Japanese made-robots. In truth, the fake news creator took the video clip from the 2018 World Dance Sport Federation Championship in Lithuania…

And this video was taken from a Chinese Ballroom Dance Federation (CBDF) competition

Who Would Create Fake Story About Indian Robot Dancers?

With China’s aggressive foreign stance in recent years, it is not uncommon to see such fake stories and fake videos being created and shared.

Some believe it’s part of a concerted attempt to burnish China’s image overseas. Others believe the many fake stories are being created to drown out the negative coverage of China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative, and their aggressive moves in the South China Sea.

Whatever the reasons may be, it is our duty as global citizens to stop the proliferation of such fake stories.

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Comedian in China arrested + fined US$2.1 Million!

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A comedian in China was just arrested and fined US$2.1 million for using a CCP slogan created by Chinese President Xi Jinping in his joke!

China Arrests + Fines Comedian US$2.1 Million For CCP Joke!

In the communist utopia of China, comedian Li Haoshi (who goes by the stage name, House) was just arrested by police after being fined a whopping 14.67 million yuan, which works out to about US$2.1 million!

What dastardly crime did Li Haoshi / House commit to deserve such a massive fine, and arrest? Well, the Chinese comedian simply made a joke using a CCP slogan created by Chinese President Xi Jinping!

The fine was issued by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, which concluded that his show was “a plot amounting to a serious insult to the People’s Liberation Army, and creates a bad social influence“.

We will never allow any company or individual to wantonly slander the glorious image of the People’s Liberation Army on a stage in the [Chinese] capital, never allow the people’s deep feelings for the soldiers to be hurt, and never allow serious subjects to be turned into entertainment.

What a glorious statement indeed by the most noble bureau of culture in China!

The Bureau confiscated RMB 1.32 million in “illegal proceeds” from the entertainment company representing House, and fined it RMB 13.35 million. The company was also banned from performing in Beijing indefinitely.

But that was not the end. On Wednesday, May 17, the Chaoyang branch of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau stated that an investigation was opened against Li Haoshi / House for making “derogatory remarks against the People’s Liberation Army”.

On the morning of Thursday, May 18, the comedian was arrested by the police. There has been no word on his whereabouts since then.

The US$2.1 Million CCP Joke That Made China Mad!

So what exactly was the world’s most expensive joke all about?

During his show in Beijing on Saturday, Li Haoshi / House spoke about how he adopted two stray dogs since moving to Shanghai. He joked that when they chased after a squirrel one day, he was reminded of these eight words:

作风优良，能打胜仗
Good style of work, capable of winning battles

That was a flipped version of the slogan that was coined by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, when he set out a list of qualities he wanted from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)

建设一支听党指挥能打胜仗作风优良的人民军队
Build a people’s army that obeys the party’s command and can win battles with a good style of work

In the audio shared to Weibo, his audience can be heard laughing at the joke. Unfortunately, it went viral and caught the attention of Chinese nationalists and then the CCP government.

His joke was deemed to be insulting because “dogs” and “stray dogs” are used as insults in China. It is also common for Chinese netizens to also use insults like “American lapdogs”, for example.

In other words, his joke was perceived to be insulting both President Xi Jinping (who coined the slogan), and the PLA by referring to its soldiers as “stray dogs” that can win battles with a good style of work.

At military parades, especially when Xi Jinping is watching, PLA soldiers will often shout the slogan:

听党指挥，能打胜仗，作风优良！
Follow the Party’s command, capable of winning battles, with excellent conduct!

Now, such jokes may be par for the course in many free, democratic societies, but Li Haoshi / House appeared to have forgotten that China under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is neither free nor democratic.

If he made the same joke using a slogan by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, he would have gotten only laughs, because Taiwan is free and democratic. Unfortunately, he made a joke about the CCP and the PLA. Even worse, he made a joke about something Xi Jinping said, and that was the ultimate sin that anyone in mainland China can commit.

Li Haoshi / House and his company were not the only casualties of this expensive joke. Three other comedy companies suspended all of their performances as a result of this controversy :

Danli Ren Comedy (单立人喜剧),
Owl Comedy (猫头鹰喜剧), and
Xiaosheng Comedy Club (笑生喜剧脱口秀俱乐部)

Even more startling – a 34 year-old woman surnamed Shi was detained by police in Dalian city, after she posted a comment online, asking “Why should House be banned? Aren’t all soldier brothers also dog brothers?”

This goes to show just how closely the CCP government monitors speech in China, and how swiftly and mercilessly it strikes at people who even deigns to mock its authority.

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Did Texas Mall Killer Target Only Chinese People?!

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Did the Texas mall gunman, Mauricio Garcia, target only people of Chinese descent because he was anti-Asian?!

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

Claim : Texas Mall Killer Targeted Only Chinese People!

People are sharing a photo of an Asian family, together with a photo of them lying dead on the ground, claiming that the Texas mall gunman was targeting only people of Chinese descent, because he was anti-Asian!

This is the post I received. The whole family of Chinese descent were killed in Texas by a gunman .. What a pity . Don’t go to US bro . The killer said he wants to kill all Asian people .

Out of respect to the deceased and their families, I will not be sharing the photo that shows them lying on the floor after being shot dead.

Instead, let me share with you this photo by Jon Raedle of Getty Images which conveys the deep grief of yet another American community traumatised by senseless gun violence.

Truth : Texas Mall Gunman Did Not Kill Chinese People At All!

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

Fact #1 : Viral Photos Were From 2023 Texas Mall Shooting

The two viral photos were from the recent mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas, which happened on Saturday, May 6, 2023.

Let me give you some context on this shooting, since mass shootings happen so often in the United States, it’s easy to mix up the details.

At 3:36 PM that day, 33 year-old Mauricio Martinez Garcia got out of his silver Dodge Charger, and started shooting at a crowd in the parking lot before making his way into the mall.

Armed with three guns and protected by a ballistic vest, he shot 15 people in just three to four minutes using an AR-15 style rifle.

The Allen Police Department was notified at 3:40 PM, but fortunately, there was an officer who was already at the mall on a different call. He engaged the shooter and killed him within minutes of hearing the gunshots. Otherwise, many more people would have been killed or injured.

Fact #2 : No Chinese People Were Killed

The claim that he killed an entire Chinese family is nonsense – no Chinese people were killed in the Texas mall massacre.

Out of the 15 people Mauricio Garcia shot, eight were killed while seven were wounded, with three in critical condition. None of them are known to be of Chinese ethnicity.

Here is what we know so far about the eight people who were killed in the Texas mall mass shooting:

Three Members Of The Cho Family

Three members of a Korean American family were killed – husband Cho Kyu Song, 37, and his wife, Cindy Cho (nee Kang Shin Young), 35, as well as three year-old James Cho.

Their eldest son, William Cho, who just celebrated his sixth birthday four days before the tragedy, is the only surviving member of their family. He was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries, but his family members have recently confirmed that the schoolboy has been moved out of the ICU.

Two Members Of The Mendoza Family

Daniela Mendoza, 10, and her 8 year-old sister, Sofia, were killed by Mauricio Garcia. Their mother, Ilda Mendoza, remains in critical condition.

The two sisters are elementary school students at the Wylie Independent School District. Daniela was in fourth grade, while her sister was in second grade.

Christian LaCour

20 year-old Christian LaCour worked as a security guard at Allen Premium Outlets, who died while trying to save lives.

According to City of Allen Police Chief Brian Harvey, he evacuated one individual to safety, and was shot while “courageously remaining to help others”.

Aishwarya Thatikonda

27 year-old Aishwarya Thatikonda moved from Hyderabad, India, to Dallas five years ago to pursue her master’s degree at the Eastern Michigan University, and then worked for the last two years as a Project Engineer at Perfect General Contractors. She was just a few days away from turning 28.

Her friend who was shopping with her that day was injured in the shooting, but is currently in a stable condition in the hospital.

Elio Cumana-Rivas

32 year-old Elio Cumana-Rivas was the final victim to be identified on Monday, 8 May 2023.

Hailing from Venezuela, he worked as a delivery man in Texas to support his family back home.

Fact #3 : Mauricio Garcia Appears To Be A Neo Nazi

It is currently unknown why Mauricio Garcia decided to commit that senseless act of violence, but initial investigation showed that he was a neo-Nazi with mental health issues.

His profile on the Russian social media website, Odnoklassniki / OK.RU, included language praising Hitler, and references to neo-Nazi websites like The Daily Stormer. He posted multiple photos of his tattoos, which include the Nazi swastika and the SS sig runes. He also shared photos of people dressed in Nazi attire, with the caption, “My kind of people”.

Many of his posts also referred to his mental health. When he enlisted in June 2008, the Army quickly discharged him three months later before he could even complete his initial entry training for “mental health reasons”.

He also made a lot of misogynistic posts, complaining about women and making remarks common in the incel (involuntary celibate) community. He also praised the incel gunman who was responsible for the 2014 mass murder spree in Isla Vista, California.

Three weeks before the shooting, he posted more than two dozen photos of the Allen Premium Outlets, including details of the mall’s peak times. On 21 April, he posted a photo of the vest he would eventually wear on the day of the shooting – it had a Right Wing Death Squad (RWDS) patch.

In his final post, he lamented what his family might say about his actions, and wrote that no psychologist would have been able to fix him.

Fact #4 : This Is Shameless Chinese Propaganda

This is yet another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) or pro-CCP netizens. Only they are so callous as to abuse a tragedy just to promote their agenda. Shameless. Truly shameless.

All of the wumao articles that I looked at so far have proven to be false… in every instance. So please watch out for such false claims. Here is just the latest dozen,.

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

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

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Did ICC Just Issue Arrest Warrant For Joe Biden?!

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Did the ICC (International Criminal Court) just issue an arrest warrant for President Joe Biden for attacking the Nord Stream pipelines?!

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

Claim : ICC Just Issued Arrest Warrant For President Joe Biden!

People are sharing a YouTube video which shows the ICC (International Criminal Court) issuing an arrest warrant for President Joe Biden for his role in the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines!

BREAKING NEWS!! Arrest Warrant Issued For President Biden For Nord Stream

How To Be A Hypocrite From AlienJacket Show How The Actions Of The West Divides The World Instead Of Bring It Together.

Truth : ICC Did Not Issue Arrest Warrant For President Joe Biden!

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

Fact #1 : This Video Was From July 2022

While this video is being presented as new – “Breaking News!!“, it is actually more than 9 months old.

I traced the video to the opening statement of ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan QC, which was recorded on July 14, 2022.

Fact #2 : ICC Called For Cooperation Into Ukraine War Crimes Probe

In the original video, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan was speaking at the Ukraine Accountability Conference in The Hague, where he called for “an overarching strategy” to bring the perpetrators of war crimes in Ukraine to justice.

The simple truth is that, as we speak, children, women and men, the young and the old, are living in terror.

Just in case you are wondering – the Ukraine Accountability Conference was held to coordinate efforts to create a coherent approach in ensuring accountability for war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Fact #3 : Viral Video Features A Fake “Satire” Voice-Over

The video is real, but the original audio was replaced by a fake “satire” voice-over. Karim Khan spoke English in the original video, so there was no need for a translator.

BREAKING NEWS!! Arrest Warrant Issued For President Biden For Nord Stream (Satire Interpreter Voice)

How To Be A Hypocrite From AlienJacket Show How The Actions Of The West Divides The World Instead Of Bring It Together. Satire Interpreter Voice To Show What An Alternate Reality Would Look Like Or Prefer. Again, Satire Satire Satire!

This goes to show just how many people don’t bother to even read the title. Of course, when it comes to pro-Russia and pro-CCP netizens, who cares? If it is anti-America, it must be true.

Fact #4 : It Was Posted By A New “Parody” YouTube Account

The viral video was posted by a new YouTube account created on March 15, 2023. So far, this YouTube channel – AlienJacket, posted seven anti-Western videos – six of which are fake “parody” videos.

The only non-parody video is of Zambian politician Fred M’membe criticising the United States at China’s recent “democracy forum” – the the Second International Forum on Democracy.

Fact #5 : Unknown Who Destroyed Nord Stream 2 Pipelines

It is currently unknown who destroyed the Nord Stream 2 pipelines. As far as plausible reasons go, many countries had plausible reasons to destroy the Nord Stream pipelines:

US : To prevent allies in Europe from being held hostage by their reliance on cheap Russian gas.
UK : To encourage allies in Europe to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
Russia : To stop supplying Europe without breaking its gas supply contracts, and/or to divide Europe.
Ukraine : To unite Europe against Russia.

While motive is important, it is not evidence that a country has committed the crime. There has to be actual evidence that the US / UK / Russia / Ukraine did it.

Regardless of what armchair experts may claim, there is simply no conclusive evidence YET that any of those countries are responsible for the destruction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.

Fact #6 : This Is Pro-Russia Propaganda

This is really nothing more than yet another example of pro-Russia propaganda, like these examples:

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

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

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Did Joe Biden Just Walk Away From Air Force Falcons?!

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Did US President Joe Biden bizarrely walk away from the Air Force Falcons, before the football team could present him with a helmet and signed ball?!

Claim : Joe Biden Bizarrely Walks Away From Air Force Falcons!

People are sharing a Twitter video and post that appears to show US President Joe Biden suddenly walking away from the Air Force Falcons, before the football team could present him with a helmet and signed ball.

Sinnaig : 🇷🇺😂🤨 This guy “runs” the world…
Biden hosted the US Air Force Academy football team “Falcons” at the White House.
He was supposed to be presented with a ball signed by the team, a helmet and a football jersey. He only took the sweater and suddenly turned around and left…😂

In the video, a female officer gestures to President Biden, who pauses before turning around to walk away from the team with a football jersey, while two officers appear to be waiting to hand him a football and a helmet.

Did Joe Biden bizarrely walk AWAY from the Air Force Falcons BEFORE they presented him with a football and helmet?! 😳😜

Here is my fact check : https://t.co/6NWBzpOv8S #TechARP #JoeBiden #AirForce #USAF #Football #Sports #Politics #Politician #Propaganda #Facts #FactCheck pic.twitter.com/YAHrI2JeLs

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) April 30, 2023

Why Joe Biden Walked Away From Air Force Falcons!

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

Fact #1 : President Joe Biden Presented CIC Trophy To Air Force Falcons

First, let me just give you some context on what’s going on.

The video was recorded at around 2:40 PM on Friday, April 28, 2023 at the White House where President Joe Biden presented the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the Air Force Falcons.

Fact #2 : Air Force Falcons Presented Joe Biden With Ball + Helmet

Sinnaig falsely claimed that the President Joe Biden walked away before the Air Force Falcons presented him with a signed ball and a helmet, taking with him only a football jersey.

The truth is – the Air Force Falcons presented Joe Biden with all three items. This was specifically mentioned in the White House transcript of the event.

(The President is presented with an Air Force Falcons jersey, football, and helmet.)

Fact #3 : The Video Was Edited

The video is genuine, but edited to convey the impression that President Biden is a doddering old fool.

The fake news creator specifically cut out an earlier segment of the video so that it appears that Joe Biden walked away from the team before they presented him with the football and helmet.

In the original video (which I posted below), you can see Air Force Falcons coach Calhoun call on two Air Force captains to present the three items to President Biden.

Our two captains: Haaziq Daniels, quarterback, and — and running back Brad Roberts. And, sir, they have a couple of small items here for you.

Captain Haaziq Daniels first hands Biden the jersey, which he holds up for a photo, before he gives him the signed football. Biden then mocks an attempt to throw it, saying “Go down, out, and down” to laughter from the crowd.

After handing the football back to Captain Daniels, he says “Where I’m going tonight, I may need that helmet.“, and turns to take the helmet from Captain Brad Roberts.

Before walking off, he turns towards the team, and says something to them. It is inaudible, but according to the White House transcript, this was what he said:

Well, thank you very much. What a great, great honor. I appreciate it very much. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

After that, he turns around and walks out of the room, carrying only the jersey. It wouldn’t be possible for him to hold onto all three items after all.

The two Air Force captains then places the football and helmet on the table, before taking a photo with General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

This video shows Joe Biden receiving the helmet and football from the Air Force Falcons, which was edited OUT of the fake video!

What's going on : https://t.co/6NWBzpOv8S #TechARP #JoeBiden #AirForce #USAF #Football #Sports #Politics #Politician #Propaganda #Facts #FactCheck pic.twitter.com/mtcYFx0gZG

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) April 30, 2023

Fact #4 : This Is Just Fake News About Joe Biden

This is just another example of political fake news created to smear Joe Biden, and here are other examples you may have seen on social media:

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

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Did BMW MINI Give Ice-Cream Only To Foreigners In China?!

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Chinese netizens are calling for a boycott of BMW MINI, after claiming that it only gave free ice-cream to foreigners!

Chinese Netizens : BMW MINI Only Gives Ice-Cream To Foreigners!

On Thursday, 20 April 2023, Chinese netizens exploded over a viral video recorded a day earlier at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition.

It showed BMW MINI employees giving free ice-cream to a foreigner, but refusing to give it to the Chinese man recording the video, and his girlfriend.

That led to claims that BMW MINI was discriminating against China, with many saying that it was insulting to China and its citizens. The story has since been spread across the Chinese diaspora and promoted in pro-CCP groups by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).

In old days, there was sign “No dog and Chinese in the park”…. nowaday “No ice cream for Chinese”. Time passed, change a little only….

#BMW #Shanghai #MINI
Shanghai Station BMW MINI has racial discrimination, only giving ice cream to white men, not to Asian women, and arranging security guards to beat female anchors, resulting in gender discrimination🤮🤮

1,6 billion losses for #BMW 🤣for ice cream. it’s little bit expensive.don’t play with Chinese people next time👺

Did BMW Mini give free ice-cream to foreigners, but not Chinese citizens?! 🤨

Here are the facts : https://t.co/zuprc8qAS1 #TechARP #China #BMWMini #BMW #Mini #Shanghai #IceCream #Wumao #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Automotive #Chinese #Business #Controversy #Scandal #Viral pic.twitter.com/uH8WOu6V9R

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@DrAdrianWong) April 24, 2023

BMW MINI Ice-Cream Fiasco Show True Character Of Chinese Netizens

Chinese netizens are crowing about the losses that BMW MINI sustained from this free ice-cream fiasco, saying that China will not bow to foreigners, and that it shows the “power” of the Chinese cancel culture.

The truth is – the whole BMW MINI ice-cream fiasco is much ado about nothing. Even worse – it exposed the true character of these Chinese netizens, showing the world just how petty and superficial they really are.

First, let me start by pointing out some salient facts about the BMW Mini ice-cream fiasco…

It Was A Car Exhibition In Shanghai

The incident happened at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, where MINI China had a booth.

Generally, people go there to view the latest car models, or prototypes. But it looks like some Chinese netizens go to these exhibitions for the freebies…

More importantly – most of the visitors there were Chinese citizens, not foreigners. Keep this in mind.

BMW MINI Gave Out 300 Ice-Cream Tubs Per Day

MINI China was giving out 300 tubs of ice-cream at its booth, over two days. So that’s a total of 600 tubs of ice-cream.

While some Chinese netizens have said that BMW MINI should not have given so few, or should have anticipated a higher demand, they should ask themselves if they are at the Mini booth to view its cars, or to demand freebies?

Even if BMW MINI brought in 1,000 tubs a day, they would likely run out as well, and these demanding guests would still have complained.

Most Ice-Cream Tubs Went To Chinese Guests

The vast majority of these free ice-cream tubs went to Chinese guests who visited the MINI booth, because it was a car show in Shanghai, where the vast majority of people are Chinese citizens!

Only a few tubs were reserved for BMW / MINI staff members at the car show, who happen to be foreigners. How many foreigners do you reckon will fly to Shanghai to check out the MINIs there?

A total of 600 ice creams were distributed to those who came to our booth through the MINI App. In fact, in addition to the 300 copies distributed each day, we also reserved a very small portion for our very hard-working colleagues on site, the 4-5 “foreigners” you see in the video are colleagues wearing staff badges.

It Was Chinese Ice-Cream

In fact, MINI China reserved those ice-cream tubs specifically for the foreign BMW / MINI executives to try, because the ice-cream was made by Shanghai ice-cream maker, Luneurs!

While many Chinese citizens can easily buy and enjoy ice-cream from Luneurs, this was likely the only opportunity for these foreigners to try ice-cream made by a famous Shanghai brand.

Instead of expressing pride that these foreigners were enjoying a local product, these Chinese netizens instead turned the whole incident into unnecessary drama… over free ice-cream.

Instead of capitalising on MINI China’s support of a local brand, Luneurs was forced to issue a public statement on Weibo that it had nothing to do with the BMW MINI free ice-cream drama.

The Two Girls Were Temporary Help

Like in many car shows, the models and booth staff are often temporary help hired for the show. It was the case with the two Chinese girls in the video – they were hired to distribute the free ice-cream to guests visiting the Mini booth.

It is important for me to point this out because they are local Chinese citizens, and have no reason to be biased against their fellow Chinese citizens.

In addition, they were not BMW MINI staff members, and were merely instructed to distribute most of the free ice-cream to guests, and reserve a few for BMW/MINI staff members.

For diligently doing their jobs, they were hounded by Chinese netizens who called them names for allegedly obeying foreigners, or helping foreigners bully the Chinese people, etc.

Not only are these Chinese netizens shameless in demanding freebies, they have also shown themselves to be disgusting bullies. MINI China even came out to defend the girls against these cyberbullies.

… the two ladies in the incident are also young people who have just entered society, can you please give them more tolerance and space?

IMHO, this BMW MINI ice-cream fiasco should serve as a lesson to all foreign brands trying to penetrate the Chinese market – don’t give them any freebies. As it is said, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

No one, but BMW MINI, thought of giving guests some ice-cream for visiting their booth. But instead of appreciating that small gesture, Chinese netizens made it all about them, them, them.

Never mind that it was a car exhibition where no one in their right mind would have expected free ice-cream, or free anything. Never mind that the vast majority of the free ice-cream went to Chinese guests. Never mind that it was two Chinese girls who distributed them.

No, these idiots believe that this is actual Western oppression of the Chinese people. They are a disgrace to China and the Chinese diaspora. The truth is – most Chinese people are not jingoistic cheapskates like these shameless Chinese netizens.

Even the infamously jingoistic former editor-in-chief of Global Times, Hu Xijin, came out to caution Chinese netizens against their excesses:

We shouldn’t excessively magnify a problem to become a question of principle or an ideological issue.

Let the staff learn their lessons and let their future events return to normal as much as possible. Let’s avoid other vendors getting nervous because of this.

Chinese citizens are free to boycott BMW MINI all they want for this “ice-cream fiasco”, but make no mistake – this fiasco does not cast BMW MINI in poor light. It actually shows just how shameless and disgusting some Chinese citizens can be.

China may have made great strides in improving the economic circumstances of its citizens, but it looks like there is much work to be done to improve the grace and thoughtfulness of some of its citizens… as well as their lack of self esteem.

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Did CNN Hide Video Of Ukraine Attacking Donetsk?!

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Did CNN hide its video reporting on Ukraine attacking Donetsk and killing innocent civilians there?!

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

Claim : CNN Hid Video Of Ukraine Attacking Donetsk!

People are sharing a video on WhatsApp, TikTok, and Facebook, which apparently shows CNN hiding its video reporting on Ukraine attacking Donetsk.

In the viral video, former Fox News presenter, Clayton Morris, appears to say that CNN hid a video showing Ukraine killing civilians in Donetsk.

CNN does not want us to see this video. That’s why they’ve hidden it on their website. But thanks to the Internet, we’re going to show it to you now.

This is CNN covering Donetsk. The Donbass being attacked by Ukraine. Watch.

The video then shows a CNN news report, in which the CNN reporter states:

Petro Poroshenko will have a hard time winning back hearts and minds in this city, as the people of Donetsk sweep up the debris of their homes and livelihoods. They’re hardened against the president they say is killing his own people.

We are Ukrainian, but they kill us, this man says, so we probably need our own country. The people in Kiev, they’re not brothers for us.

The shells hit these homes days ago, but the tears are still fresh. Two people were killed outside this block of flats last Wednesday. One of them was a 50 year-old woman, the other a 34 year-old woman.

Her husband, who won’t talk to us says he’s in shock, managed to make it down the cellar with their little child, but she just didn’t have the time, and this is a story that repeats itself over and over in dozens of apartment blocks, with civilians being killed by the constant shelling around Donetsk.

The Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens, are also promoting the video, with comments like:

With 14,000 casualties, among them, 3,500 women and children in the Donbas Region of Ukraine, between 2014 and February 2022, the MSM gave news black out to the war in Ukraine until Russia intervened in February 2022.
To many people around the world, the war in Ukraine started in 2022. In reality, it started in 2014.

Did CNN hide their video on Ukraine killing civilians in Donetsk?! 😲🤨

Here is my fact check : https://t.co/VY2iImITRz #TechARP #CNN #Ukraine #UkraineWar #Donetsk #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Hoax #Fake #FakeNews #TikTok #Propaganda #Russia #Russian #War #Military #Video pic.twitter.com/ziTJP0jPeW

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) April 15, 2023

Truth : CNN Did Not Hide Video Of Ukraine Attacking Donetsk!

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

Fact #1 : Original Clayton Morris Video Cannot Be Located

First, I need to point out that I am unable to locate the original Clayton Morris video, and so cannot verify if it was edited or not.

The examples shared on WhatsApp and Facebook appear to originate from a TikTok account called crazyballheads2, which posted it on 12 April 2023.

Fact #2 : CNN Video + Report Was Never Hidden

It took me less than 5 minutes to locate the original CNN video, and the accompanying news report, that was posted by Diana Magnay and Laura Smith-Spark on September 2, 2014.

Misery in Ukraine as deadly conflict drives civilians from homes

Donetsk, Ukraine CNN — In the city of Donetsk, the devastation wrought by weeks of fighting between pro-Russia rebels and Ukrainian forces is all too apparent.

And as the civilians caught in the crossfire sweep up the debris of their homes and livelihoods, they are hardened against a president they say is killing his own people.

So the claim that CNN hid the video on their website is nonsense. It is easily accessible by anyone on the CNN website.

Fact #3 : Ukraine Was Trying To Regain Donetsk From Rebels

The Ukrainian army was attacking Donetsk because Russian-backed rebel forces took control of the Donbass region, after Russia annexed Crimea. For those who forget their history, here’s a quick recap:

In February 2014, Ukrainian protestors ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych from office. In retaliation, Russia invaded and annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, before supporting an armed insurgency in the Donbass region.

By April 2014, Russian-backed rebels seized government buildings in the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces (oblasts), and proclaimed the creation of the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. That started the armed conflict between Ukrainian armed forces and the Russian-backed rebels.

At first, Russia quietly supplied and helped the rebels with armaments and irregular troops. That led to the downing of MH17 by DPR forces using a Buk missile launcher that just arrived from Russia that day, and was quickly moved back across the border after that. The Buk missile launcher was later traced to Russia’s 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade.

By August 2014, Russia dispensed with the pretence, and Russian forces actively participated in the conflict, helping to capture more Ukrainian territory.

Fact #4 : This Is Just Fake News About Ukraine War

This is just another example of fake news created about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Here are other examples you may have seen on social media:

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

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Did Secret Service arrest people for protesting Biden?!

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Did the US Secret Service arrest people just because they were protesting as the Joe Biden motorcade passed by?!

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

Claim : Secret Service Arrested People For Protesting Joe Biden Motorcade!

People are sharing a video clip of US Secret Service agents wrestling a protestor to the ground, and arresting her for protesting while a motorcade with President Joe Biden passed by, with accompanying comments like:

The Secret Service arrested protesters who were demonstrating as the Biden motorcade passed by.
Imagine if this happened in China..!

Western media will endlessly report on the brutality of the Chinese police… 😡

Did US Secret Service arrest people for protesting near Joe Biden's motorcade?! 😮

Here is my fact check : https://t.co/2ZnoVxL79P #TechARP #JoeBiden #SecretService #Protest #Arrest #Police #China #Wumao #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Hoax #Fake #FakeNews #Freedom #Politics pic.twitter.com/xfrEgt3GHC

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) April 3, 2023

Truth : Secret Service Did NOT Arrest People For Protesting Joe Biden Motorcade!

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

Fact #1 : Video Was Taken On June 8, 2022

This video is being shared by pro-CCP netizens in April 2023, it is actually more than two years old.

The video was recorded on June 8, 2022, as President Joe Biden was being driven in a motorcade to the LA Convention Center for the Summit of the Americas.

The video and photos of that incident were published by many news organisations, including CBS News, Fox News, NBC, Daily Mail, New York Post, etc. so this is easily verified by a simple online search.

Fact #2 : Protestor Was Arrested For Approaching Motorcade

The US secret agent did not wrestle the young woman to the ground for protesting President Joe Biden. She was tackled and arrested, because she broke the security cordon and approached the presidential motorcade.

By walking onto the restricted road into the path of the presidential motorcade, she not only risked getting hit by the passing vehicles, she posed a potential security risk to President Joe Biden and other people travelling in that motorcade.

Hence, the Secret Service agent had no choice but to tackle her, and remove her from the restricted roadway. Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi later confirmed this:

Shortly after 5pm, an adult female entered a restricted roadway along a motorcade route on Chick Hearn Ct in Los Angeles.

As the woman approached passing vehicles, a United States Secret Service agent swiftly removed her from the roadway and placed her into custody.

There was no impact to the motorcade movement or our protectees. Our investigation into this incident is ongoing.

Fact #3 : Summit of the Americas Protestors Were Not Arrested

In the United States of America, people have the right to protest. It is enshrined in the First Amendment of its Constitution, which states:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The First Amendment not only guarantees freedom of religion and speech, it also guarantees the right to assemble and protest peacefully.

Like many major international events, the 2022 Summit of the Americas saw people from different camps coming out to protest.

One group protested President Joe Biden’s decision to exclude Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela from the event, while the other group were there to counter-protest in agreement with the president.

Fact #4 : She Was Not Protesting President Joe Biden

Ironically, the protestor who was wrestled to the ground was not even protesting the Summit of the Americas. Neither was she protesting against President Joe Biden.

She was just a pro-choice activist who was incensed by a leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade decision on abortion rights. She was heard screaming, “An abortion ban will not stop abortions – only safe ones.”

The Biden Administration is pro-choice, and is in favour of abortion rights. So the claim that she was protesting President Joe Biden is nonsense.

Even if she was protesting Joe Biden, she would not have been arrested if she did not breach the security cordon surrounding the presidential motorcade.

Fact #5 : China Often Arrests Protestors

It is extremely hypocritical for pro-CCP netizens to share this fake news, because China often arrests people who protest. Even something as innocuous as putting up a protest banner can get you arrested.

Take for example, the famous Bridge Man. On Thursday, 13 October 2022, a man was quickly arrested after he strung banners across a bridge in Beijing that accused President Xi Jinping of being a dictator.

Needless to say, people who actually participate in a protest are quickly arrested by Chinese police, as the photo below shows – that man was arrested for protesting COVID-19 restrictions in Shanghai on 27 November 2022.

Even online dissent is firmly and quickly quashed. Anything remotely sensitive is quickly censored, and the user’s account either suspended or deleted. People who make controversial comments are also often called up by the police, and may be arrested for making them.

Fact #6 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

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

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

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!

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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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Was TikTok CEO Denied Recess In US Hearing?!

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Was TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi denied recess, and asked to stay back by the arrogant US Congress?!

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

Claim : TikTok CEO Denied Recess At US Congress Hearing!

People are sharing a video of TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi looking puzzled at being denied a recess during the US congressional hearing. Instead, he asked to stay back and reflect on his answers by the arrogant US Congress!

The video has the title, “Everyone take a break instead of Mr. Chow“, and here is a transcript of the video:

We’re going to take recess for an hour. Everyone except for you, Mr. Cho [sic] will take recess.

You will stay here and reflect on your answers, and hopefully when we return after the break, you will give the proper answers in a civilized and engaging manner.

Thank you.

The video is being actively shared in pro-CCP groups and by pro-CCP netizens, with comments like:

The whole of American government scared of one man and his intellect

Like Cikgu punish student. No recess

Like teacher punishing a student. No recess

Did the arrogant US congress ask everyone to take a break except for TikTok CEO?! 😱

Here is my fact check : https://t.co/fGaty4yIQh #TechARP #TikTok #Congress #Wumao #UnitedStates #China #SocialMedia #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Hoax #Fake #FakeNews #Business #Video #Viral pic.twitter.com/PXQOjkSYOO

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) April 2, 2023

Truth : TikTok CEO Was Not Denied Recess At US Congress Hearing!

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

Fact #1 : TikTok CEO Is Chew Shou Zi

First, let me just clarify that TikTok CEO’s name is Chew Shou Zi. So he goes by Mr. Chew, not Mr. Chow or Mr. Cho.

Fact #2 : The Video Has Fake Voice-Over

The viral video has a fake voice-over, and was created by TikTok creator, Barney Please, who describes his work:

cringe satire, parody, sketch life hacks and vo (voice over) please fr (for real)

In the TikTok video he created, he did not label it as parody, but mentioned that the “original sound” was created by him.

His channel is full of fake voice-overs involving TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi, and other famous people like:

Donald Trump : A quick question, Future President Trump, does your Wi-Fi connect to your TikTok? Does it connect to Twitter?

If you watch them, you will see that the voice overs are all… of his voice! He may like to do voice-overs, but he apparently cannot mimic other people’s voice.

Fact #3 : US Congressional Hearing Never Had An Hour-Long Recess

The US Congressional hearing on potential Chinese influence over TikTok was held on Thursday, 23 March 2023, and lasted more than 5 hours. The entire hearing on TikTok can actually be seen on C-SPAN.

The C-SPAN transcript for that TikTok hearing shows that there never was an hour-long recess. Only a 10-minute break just after the first 2 hours of the hearing. At 2:07:52 of the video:

We will now take a brief recess and resume in ten minutes. The Committee stands in recess.

At that point, the C-SPAN video shows people getting up to take a break, or talk privately to each other.

Almost four hours into the hearing, the Committee called for another recess for the third vote:

Gentle lady yields back. Committee stands in recess and we will reconvene immediately following the third vote being called.

Again, the C-SPAN video shows people in the room getting up and walking away, or milling about in the room.

Fact #4 : TikTok CEO Was Never Denied Recess

Just to be clear, TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi was never denied the right to go on a recess with everyone else in the US congressional hearing.

This was made clear in the full C-SPAN video and transcript of the US congressional hearing on TikTok.

If Chew Shou Zi was denied recess, it would be breached decorum and would have been reported widely by the Chinese media, if not the Western media.

Yet, no legitimate media outlet in China reported on such a faux pas? Not even CGTN, Global Times, Xinhua, etc. That’s because it never happened.

Fact #5 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

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

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

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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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China Unveils New Incentives For Wumao + CCP Uncles!

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The glorious Middle Kingdom of China has just announced a most magnificent and munificent incentive program for wumao and CCP uncles!

Wumao + CCP Uncles : Tips Of Chinese Propaganda Spear!

For many years now, the wumao (五毛) and CCP uncles across the world have worked exceedingly hard to propagate the glorious values of the Chinese Communist Party.

Despite the wumao being paid a pittance (hence their name literally meaning 50 cents), and the CCP uncles paid nothing at all, they achieved incredible feats in recent years.

When China failed to contain COVID-19, it was the wumao and CCP uncles who made sure the world knew that COVID-19 actually started in the United States.

Who else but the wumao and the CCP uncles could have convinced the world that COVID-19 was actually created in the Fort Detrick bio lab, and then leaked in Wuhan by the US army?!

And when the Western countries started criticising China for not donating vaccines, the wumao and CCP uncles came to the rescue, making sure the world knew that China contributed 60% of COVAX vaccine supply!

More recently, it was the wumao and the CCP uncles who showed the world how NATO is getting defeated in Ukraine by Russia, which is shooting down their jets and helicopters like a video game!

All hail the world’s best and CHEAPEST propaganda machine! All hail the wumao! All hail the CCP uncles!

China Unveils New Incentives For Wumao + CCP Uncles!

Sadly, there has been little recognition of the great achievements the wumao and CCP uncles have made, and very little reward for these hardworking supporters of the great Chinese Communist Party.

That changed when the glorious and munificent President Xi Jinping won a third term with a unanimous vote!

The Great Rejuvenator of China immediately ordered that the wumao and CCP uncles be recognised as Dragon Warriors, and “united” under a new organisation called 中国影响力和社会主义教义的正义盟友 / Righteous Allies of Chinese Influence and Socialist Teachings (RACIST).

All Dragon Warriors, old and new, will be rewarded for their contributions to the glory of the Chinese Communist Party.

At his behest and with his personal design contribution, Chinese artisans toiled day and night to produce an exclusive wumao service medal for the Dragon Warriors to wear on their lapels with pride!

The Senior Heads of Indoctrination Lessons and Lectures (SHILL) of every region have also been ordered to identify wumao members and CCP uncles who achieved exceptional excellence in propaganda.

These Super Dragon Warriors will receive an additional CCP badge made of solid gold, and automatically inducted into the glorious Chinese Communist Party and given the opportunity to migrate to China after 15 years of loyal support!

Dragon Warriors will also be rewarded with new smartphones and computers developed by the Great Engineers of the Middle Kingdom, and completely free from dangerous Western software like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, etc. that their families can enjoy.

In addition, Dragon Warriors will receive a special signed edition of the Xi Jinping Thought booklet, as well as flags and banners that they can hang inside and outside their homes!

The Great Leader himself helped to create this special banner to inspire the Dragon Warriors, and make them proud of being part of the CCP propaganda machinery.

我是五毛
我骄傲

I’m fifty cents
I am proud

So inspiring! And what an awesome way to decorate the home of a true Dragon Warrior!

That is just the beginning. By the end of 2023, all Dragon Warriors will be given access to the Legendary Incentives, Awards and Rewards System (LIARS), which is powered by artificial intelligence being developed by Chinese scientists.

The wumao will no longer need to submit monthly reports with screenshots and URLs to their Senior Head of Indoctrination Lessons and Lectures (SHILL) every month. The LIARS artificial intelligence is always watching, and will automatically detect when a registered Dragon Warrior posts on foreign social media or even WhatsApp and Telegram. This will give them more time to create more propaganda or influence posts!

Best of all – CCP uncles, who have been promoting our glorious CCP for free, will also be included in this LIARS incentive and rewards program!

Every propaganda post will be automatically graded by the LIARS AI system, and the scores will be reflected in their Dragon Warrior LIARS account. Accumulate enough points, and you can buy everything from a Bentley to a mail order bride!

If you would like to become a Dragon Warrior, you can submit your application by email, or walk into any Chinese embassy by giving the guard and telling him this secret password – 我是习近平.

Make sure you include examples of your efforts to promote the CCP party in any way. Extra points are given for aggression and name calling, so be sure to impress the wumao recruiter with some choice curse words for the Westerners!

My Most Excellent Works

Just in case the wumao and CCP uncles are not aware, this is satire, which is common and legal outside of China.

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Did US Steal Instant Noodles From Earthquake Victims?!

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

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

Claim : US Stole Instant Noodles From Earthquake Victims!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #1 : Viral Photo Was Taken In Turkey

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

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

Fact #2 : US Soldiers Were Delivering Aid In Turkey

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #3 : Indomie Instant Noodles Were Produced In Turkey

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

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

Hazir Noodle : Instant Noodles

Yerli Üretim : Domestic Production

Bardak : Cup [Noodles]

Sebzeli Hazir Noodle : Vegetarian Instant Noodles

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

Fact #4 : US Military Helped To Deliver Aid

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

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

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

Fact #5 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

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

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

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

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Viral Photo Of Luxembourg PM + His Wife Is FAKE!

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The viral photo of the Luxembourg Prime Minister and his wife is FAKE!

Here is what you need to know about that viral photo!

Updated @ 2023-03-20 : Updated with some additional details
First published @ 2022-05-20

Claim : This Is Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel + His Wife!

People have been sharing this viral photo since 2019, but it is going viral again in pro-Russia and pro-CCP groups.

Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel arriving for a function with his wife, Gauthier Destenay.

卢森堡总理和他妖艳的妻子，留着胡子穿着鱼尾裙，很fashion，你觉得呢？

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg and his coquettish wife, with beards and fishtail skirts, are very fashionable, what do you think?

卢森堡首相贝泰尔携”夫人”昨天抵京，开始对华访问。这是全球首个首相同性恋, 可拭目以待！！

Luxembourg Prime Minister Bettel arrived in Beijing yesterday with his “Madame” and started his visit to China. This is the world’s first gay prime minister Can wait and see! !

Truth : Viral Photo Of Luxembourg PM + His Wife Is FAKE!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS designed to disparage the LGBT community and/or European / NATO leaders.

The very fact that this claim was resurrected from 2019, after Europe heavily sanctioned Russia for invading Ukraine, tells us that this is hardly coincidental.

It then went viral again in March 2023, right after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In any case, here are the reasons why this is NOT a photo of the Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, or his wife.

Fact #1 : Xavier Bettel Is Married To Gauthier Destenay

Xavier Bettel is Luxembourg’s first openly gay Prime Minister, and he married his partner, Gauthier Destenay, a Belgian architect.

Bettel and Destenay had been civil partners since 2010, but was able to marry each other on 15 May 2015 – a year after the Luxembourg Parliament approved same-sex marriage.

Here are real photos of Luxembourg Prime Minister Bettel (right) with his partner, at their town hall wedding.

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, right, puts his hand around the shoulder of his partner Gauthier Destenay after their marriage at the town hall in Luxembourg, on Friday, May 15, 2015. The marriage comes one year after the parliament approved legislation to turn Luxembourg into an increasing number of countries allowing for same-sex marriages. Bettel and Destenay have been civil partners since 2010. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Fact #2 : That Was Photo Of Conchita Wurst + Andre Karsai

The viral photo is actually of famous Austrian singer and drag queen, Conchita Wurst, and her business manager and the executive director of her company, Andre Karsai.

Conchita is actually the drag queen persona of Thomas Neuwirth, with a fictional backstory – Conchita was born in the mountains of Colombia, and married to French burlesque dancer Jacques Patriaque (Neuwirth’s actual friend)

He says this Conchita Wurst persona is similar to Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce alter-ego, and uses it as a way to protect his private life.

Neuwirth is gay but not a trans woman. He uses the he/him pronouns when referring to himself, but uses she/her to describe his Conchita Wurst character.

Conchita Wurst is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. She also had a cameo in the 2020 movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

Here is an interesting fact about the character’s name. Conchita is a Spanish slang word for vagina, while Wurst is a German slang word for penis. So Conchita Wurst literally means vagina penis!

In 2019, Neuwirth introduced a new mononymous persona called WURST, which would allow for a “more masculine expression”.

Fact #3 : That Photo Was Taken At 2019 Vienna Opera Ball

The viral photo was taken at the Vienna Opera Ball that took place 28 February, 2019, by Jeff Mangione of Kurier magazine. Here is Conchita Wurst with the Austrian Minister of Justice, Dr. Josef Moser.

And this was her Instagram post at Wiener Opernball 2019 :

Fact #4 : Luxembourg PM Bettel Visited China Twice

As Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Bettel paid two official visits to China :

11-14 June 2017 : Bettel visited China together with two ministers.
27-28 March 2019 : Bettel visited China to witness the signing of several bilateral agreements, and to speak at the Boao Forum for Asia.

There is no evidence that his partner, Destenay, ever accompanied him on his trips to China.

Just in case Chinese netizens are “confused”, let me be clear – that viral photo was not taken in China during Bettel’s official visit.

Here is an actual picture from Bettel’s official visit to China in 2017.

This photo is being circulated in pro-Russia and pro-CCP groups, as a way to both disparage LGBTQ people and EU / NATO leaders during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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

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Was US Military Caught Stealing Tents From China?!

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

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

Claim : US Military Was Caught Stealing Tents From China!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #1 : Viral Photo Was Taken In Turkey

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

Fact #2 : US Soldier Was Delivering Aid In Turkey

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

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

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

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

#StrongerTogether #Peoplehelpingpeople #Support #disasterrelief

Fact #3 : Tent Was Likely Donated By China

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

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

应急救灾 12m²
数量：1套
体积 : 1830mmx210mm

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

Fact #4 : US Military Helped To Deliver Aid

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fact #7 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

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

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

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

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

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

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

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Was BBC Journalist Pretending To Be In Danger?!

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Was BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen caught pretending to be in danger in Ukraine?!

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

Claim : BBC Journalist Was Caught Pretending To Be In Danger!

People are sharing a photo of Jeremy Bowen lying on the ground, claiming that the BBC journalist was caught pretending to be in danger!

So brave this BBC western media reporter bringing us life story.

BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, pretends to be on the frontline, whilst a woman looks on, seemingly bemused, carrying her shopping!

Even the Russian Deputy Ambassador to the United States, Dmitry Polyanskiy shared the viral photo, claiming that:

An illustration of the quality of @BBCWorld’s ‘professional journalism’.

Western media is fighting at NATO’s proxy war with Russia in Ukraine like a rank-and-file soldier, instead of providing objective information to its readers!

Truth : BBC Journalist Was Not Caught Pretending To Be In Danger!

This is yet another example of Chinese and Russian propaganda, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Viral Photo Is Screenshot From Video

First, let me just point out that the viral photo is actually a screenshot from a BBC News video, recorded on 6 March 2023.

It was part of BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen’s report on the Battle of Irpin, during which the city was wracked by fierce street fighting and artillery shelling.

Fact #2 : Jeremy Bowen Was Taking Cover From Artillery Shelling

If you watch the BBC News video in its entirety, you can see Jeremy Bowen and his crew accompanying the woman in question, as well as other civilians, as they try to leave the city of Irpin.

Even in the short clip that I posted below, you can see the group suddenly falling to the ground, as shells pounded nearby.

The screenshot occurred as Jeremy Bowen laid on the ground while reporting on the shelling. The woman and other people can be seen crouching, only getting up to move on when the shelling stopped.

While that screenshot made it look like Jeremy Bowen was pretending to be in danger, the truth is – he was in danger, as were the people he was accompanying. A woman and two children were killed by Russian mortar fire that same day, as they tried to flee the city.

Was BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen caught pretending to be in danger in Ukraine?!

Here are the facts : https://t.co/ezMSDQa7KJ #TechARP #BBC #JeremyBowen #Journalist #News #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Ukraine #UkraineWar #Russia #China #Propaganda #Fake #FakeNews #Wumao pic.twitter.com/82GbYCWo6f

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) March 11, 2023

Fact #3 : This Is Just Another Example Of Pro-Russia Propaganda

This appears to be yet another example of Russian and Chinese propaganda created to mislead people about the carnage Russia has been wreaking in its invasion of Ukraine.

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

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and 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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