McDonald’s Instagram account hacked by promoters of Grimace coin

McDonald’s Corp’s account on Instagram was hacked Aug 21 in an apparent scam involving a cryptocurrency named after Grimace. Screenshots published by an X user showed a post on the chain’s Instagram leading to a “McDonald’s experiment” on the blockchain platform Solana. Another encouraged users to post whether they owned a coin named after Grimace, the...

China father makes children kneel on busy road in bid to force return of estranged wife, enrages mainland social media

A father in southern China made his three young children kneel in the middle of a busy road in a bid to force the return of his estranged wife, sparking outrage on mainland social media. On Aug 15, a police officer in Foshan, Guangdong province, discovered the youngsters during a patrol. They were all under the age...

Flash floods in Klang and Shah Alam, Bomba is monitoring the situation

PETALING JAYA: Several videos of flash floods in Klang and Shah Alam, Selangor, have been circulating on social media. A video shared by Khidmat Malaysia on Facebook showed teachers at SK Padang Jawa in Klang helping their pupils wade through the water caused by continuous rains. “The teachers are trying their best to get the affected pupils...

Kampung Baru Pelawan ‘rat route’ story a shining example of unity

TELUK INTAN: The story of a 'rat route' in Kampung Baru Pelawan is the best example of unity and cooperation, as villagers come together to help motorists stranded due to traffic congestion. Despite the road’s imperfect surface, this 3km stretch of agricultural road has unexpectedly become an alternative route for drivers trying to reach Kuala Lumpur...

Study: Elon Musk’s misleading election posts viewed 1.2 billion times

False or misleading US election claims posted on X by Elon Musk have amassed nearly 1.2 billion views this year, a watchdog reported Aug 8, highlighting the billionaire’s potential influence on the highly polarised White House race. Ahead of the November election, researchers have raised alarm that X, formerly Twitter, is a hotbed of political misinformation. They...

Social media selfie hunters harming flora and fauna, scientists warn

Throngs of selfie-mad daytrippers have already prompted protests by residents and the introduction of tourism taxes by local authorities in regions from Austria to Greece and Indonesia. But it's not just Alpine village vistas or historic town plazas that are being overwhelmed by the growing number of phone-wielding posers seeking content for their social media feeds. "The...

QuickCheck: Did a cleaver-wielding man run amok at a train station in Ipoh?

IT'S not every day you hear about a cleaver-wielding man causing chaos at a train station. The usually serene KTMB Square in Ipoh turned into an unexpected stage for a dramatic scene straight out of a thriller movie. As social media users played detective with the viral video, many are left wondering: did this wild incident really...

China charity boss investigated over sex-for-cash demand to desperate mother of sick child, multiple accusations surface online

The boss of a charity organisation in China has been accused of seeking sexual favours from a desperate mother in exchange for donations to help her seriously ill child. A female charity worker, surnamed Zheng, who helped set up the 9958 Project under the China Charities Aid Foundation for Children, publicly accused Lei Ke, the regional...

UK riots a cautionary tale for Malaysia, says Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA: The violent riots happening in the United Kingdom caused by the spread of fake news is a cautionary tale for Malaysia, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil. He said the riots are a reminder that the spread of fake news should not be taken lightly. “We had faced a similar incident after the last general election as...

Malaysia, other countries issue safety warnings to citizens in UK following riots

PETALING JAYA: Several other countries have joined Malaysia in issuing warnings to their citizens in the United Kingdom following widespread riots. Among the countries which have sent out alerts are Australia, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, India and Nigeria. The Singapore High Commission in London also said on Aug 4 that it is monitoring the situation in...