Phuc Dat Bich admits hoax in Facebook name battle

Image copyright'Phuc Dat Bich'

Image captionPhuc Dat Bich later thanked people who were supportive of "certain names that populate in different cultures"

An Australian calling himself Phuc Dat Bich, who made global headlines after saying he was fighting to use his real name on Facebook, admits it was hoax.

"Mr Bich" said on Facebook his real name was "Joe Carr" (or perhaps joker).

He said what had started as a joke between friends "became a prank that made a fool out of the media".

But he said it also brought out the best in people and gave encouragement to people with "truly interesting and idiosyncratic names".

The hoaxer is of Vietnamese origin. His name when properly pronounced in Vietnamese, which is a tonal language, sounds like "Phoo Da Bi".

Facebook have not responded to BBC requests for comment.

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Phooled by a Joe Carr - Nga Pham, BBC Vietnamese

I have to admit I fell for the prank by Mr Bich Phuc Joe, or whoever he is.

In the newsroom, dealing day-in-day-out with news that's often about disasters, both natural and man-made, the story of an unfortunately named person who thanked the community for their support seemed appealing.

Being Vietnamese, I knew that Bich was not a common surname (but not impossible) in Vietnam, but many immigrants change their names or get them in the wrong order when registering in their new countries. Vietnamese names are highly confusing to say the least.

After the story came out on the BBC News website, I received many emails from readers saying it had made them laugh - I hope they are still laughing now, even though we've all been hoaxed.

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Media captionThe BBC's Nga Pham explains how to pronounce the Vietnamese name Phuc Dat Bich

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The Facebook user, whose profile still shows him as Phuc Dat Bich, had said back in January that he found it "highly irritating the fact that nobody seems to believe me when I say that my full legal name is how you see it".

He posted a picture of his passport showing his name, and said he had had his Facebook account "shut down multiple times". Posts under that name date back to at least 2014.

'Levity and humanity'

The story was picked up last week - first by social media then by the world's media, including by the BBC.

Earlier this week, he even went as far as thanking his supporters, saying he hoped he had "played a part in brightening your days".

But in a surprise on Wednesday he said: "Do you remember the story; The boy who cried wolf?

"Imagine that boy grew up into a mischievous man with 21st Century technology at his finger tips.

"What started as a joke between friends, became a prank that made a fool out of the media.

Image copyrightFacebook

Image captionMr Phuc received thousands of new followers over the weekend

But he also said Facebook "needs to understand that it is utterly impossible to legitimise a place where there will always be pranksters and tricksters".

Mr Bich/Carr said his "ordeal" had taught him "not to trust the credibility of the media" and that it "goes to show that an average joe like myself can con the biggest news sources with ease".

But he also praised the response to his prank saying it "didn't bring out the anger and darkness that we often see on the internet, but it brought a levity and humanity in a time we need it most."

It is not clear if he photoshopped his passport. Physically altering a valid passport would be illegal.

[SOURCE]

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Islamic State: Merkel vows Germany will do more to fight extremists

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Image captionAngela Merkel joined Francois Hollande to pay her respects to the Paris victims

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Germany will do more in the fight against the Islamic State militants, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.

It was Germany's "duty to reflect" and to "act quickly", Mrs Merkel said in Paris, after being urged by President Hollande to commit more resources, in the wake of the Paris attacks.

France has invoked a clause requiring EU member states to provide military assistance following the attacks.

IS has said it was behind the attacks on 13 November which killed 130 people.

At least one suspected attacker is still at large.

"We are stronger than any terrorism. Nevertheless, terrorism must be fought with all possible force," said Mrs Merkel.

IS "can't be convinced with words, it must be fought with military means," she added.

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French MPs have voted overwhelmingly to continue air strikes against IS in Syria beyond early January.

And all EU nations had agreed to provide direct or indirect support for French operations in Syria or other regions where French forces are operating, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

Image copyrightAP

Image captionFrench MPs have voted to continue air strikes against IS in Syria

Germany had earlier announced it was deploying 650 troops to Mali, a move that Mrs Merkel said was designed to provide relief to the 1,500 French soldiers already stationed there.

Germany is also providing weapons and training for Kurdish forces fighting IS in Iraq.

Borders under strain

Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande also addressed European border controls, which have come under renewed scrutiny after it emerged that two of the suicide bombers at the Stade de France had travelled into Europe through Greece.

They agreed that better controls were needed at the EU's external borders.

But Mr Hollande said it was important not to see migrants, many of whom were fleeing IS, as a terror threat, even though some extremists may have used the flow of migrants into Europe for their own ends.

Schengen: Controversial EU free movement deal explained

Earlier, his Prime Minister Manuel Valls argued that European countries could not accept so many refugees.

Many of the hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees who have entered the EU since August have headed through the Western Balkans to Germany, which expects around one million asylum applications this year alone.

Image copyrightAP

Image captionA decline in the number of arrivals over the weekend apparently reversed on Monday and Tuesday

Several EU countries have imposed border controls in recent weeks - despite the Schengen system of passport-free movement - in an attempt to reduce the number of arrivals.

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Media captionMigrants hoping to travel through Europe must prove they come from Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan to be let through the border with Macedonia

A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.

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Ukraine closes airspace to all Russian planes

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Image captionThe Ukrainian prime minister said all transit flights by Russian planes were being banned

Ukraine has banned all Russian planes from using its airspace and exports of Russian gas to Ukraine have been halted by state-controlled giant Gazprom.

The decision was announced by Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk at a televised government meeting.

Gazprom said it had halted gas deliveries to Ukraine because it had used up all the gas it had paid for.

But Ukraine said it had stopped buying from Gazprom because it could get cheaper gas from Europe.

The airspace ban applies to military planes as well as civil airliners.

"The Ukrainian government has decided to ban all transit flights for all Russian airlines in Ukraine's airspace," said Mr Yatsenyuk.

"The government is instructing [aviation authority] Ukraerorukh, in line with the norms of international law, to inform the Russian Federation that Russian airlines and Russian aircraft do not have the right to use Ukraine's airspace any longer."

'Serious risks'

Following previous clashes over gas supplies, the two countries had agreed that Ukraine would pay for its gas in advance.

But Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller said on Wednesday that Ukraine had already used up all the gas it had paid for.

In a statement, Mr Miller said that "deliveries have been stopped until the receipt of new payments from the Ukrainian company.

"The refusal to buy Russian gas will create serious risks for the reliable transit of gas to Europe through Ukraine and for the supply of gas to Ukrainian consumers during the upcoming winter," he added.

But Mr Yatsenyuk dismissed Mr Miller's comments out of hand.

He said his government had decided to stop buying gas from Russia as it could get a better deal elsewhere.

"The government has made the decision to order [Ukraine's national oil and gas company] Naftohaz to stop buying Russian gas.

"They got it all wrong. It is not them who are not supplying gas to us, it is us who are not buying gas from them. This is being done because offers that have come from our European partners - price offers - are much better than the offers from our eastern neighbour."

Russia cut off gas to Ukraine in June 2014 as the conflict between the government in Kiev and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine escalated.

However, it resumed them following the pre-payment deal.

About 15% of gas used in Europe travels through Ukraine. The EU has been holding talks aimed at keeping supplies running between the two sides.

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Paris attacks: World leaders united against terrorism, says Cameron

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Speaking at the G20 summit in Turkey, the PM said Friday's attacks in Paris "underlined the threat we all face".World leaders have agreed to do more to share intelligence and cut off funding for terrorists, David Cameron has said.

Earlier he met Russia's President Vladimir Putin to discuss tackling the Islamic State group and the Syrian war.

He said the gap between Russia and the West's position on Syria "has been enormous", but now "everyone recognises the need for compromise".

Multiple attacks on bars, restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade de France on Friday left 129 people dead, including Briton Nick Alexander from Essex. IS leaders have claimed the group was behind the killings.

French PM Manuel Valls said the attacks were organised from Syria, and warned authorities believe new attacks are being planned in France and other European countries.

It comes as a total of 23 people have been arrested and weapons seized in raids on suspected Islamist militants across France.

In the UK, a minute's silence for the victims was held at 11:00 GMT, to coincide with a Europe-wide silence at midday French time.

UK reaction to Paris attacks: Live coverage

Paris attacks: Latest updates

Who were the victims?

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Media captionPeople across the UK observe a minute's silence for the victims of the Paris attacks

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Image captionWorld leaders at the G20 summit observed the minute's silence

Speaking at a press conference at the G20, Mr Cameron said there would "need to be compromise on both sides" between the West and Russia in order to find a political solution in Syria.

Russia began carrying out air strikes in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad in September, saying it was targeting IS.

However, there have been suggestions from Syrian opposition and others that non-IS rebels are bearing the brunt of Russian attacks.

"I've said Assad should go immediately, and we have to compromise and recognise there is going to have to be a transition," Mr Cameron said.

But he maintained "the fact that Assad can't play a role in the long-term government of Syria is not a political preference, but a political fact."

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Analysis

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By BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins

Both the British and Russian sides emerged from these talks sounding conciliatory and positive, stressing the importance of working together to end the war in Syria as a key element in the fight against extremism.

David Cameron told President Putin that Russian bombing of the moderate opposition in Syria was a "mistake", but after the talks Mr Cameron said there were signs that the Russians were focusing more on IS targets.

The prime minister also said the gap between those who believed Syria's President Assad must go immediately, and President Putin who continued to support him, was reducing.

Mr Cameron said it would need compromise on both sides to close the gap further and faster. The hope is that prospects for a UN supervised peace process are improving, although substantial obstacles do remain.

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Mr Cameron also said people should be "vigilant" against those who want to "change our way of life and destroy our way of life", and called for Britain to show "resolve" and "carry on with our lives".

The terror threat level in the UK has been at "severe", meaning an attack is highly likely, since last August.

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Media captionDavid Cameron: Paris attacks 'could happen here'

In other developments:

• Number 10 says UK security services have disrupted seven attacks this year, including one in the last month
• The Foreign Office is advising people travelling to France to exercise caution in public places and follow advice of local authorities
• The government has announced funding to allow MI5, MI6 and GCHQ to recruit an extra 1,900 officers - a 15% increase
• A doubling in funding for aviation security is also expected. The UK currently spends about £9m a year on this issue
• Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says renewed air strikes by French forces targeting IS militants will "probably not" make a difference
• The UK is to co-host a donors' conference in London next year to raise "significant new funding" to address the Syrian crisis
• All 23 France players will travel to England on Monday after turning down the option to withdraw from Tuesday's friendly football match at Wembley
• John Sawers, former head of MI6, writing in the Financial Times, said "political calculation and available operatives" will determine IS's next target
• Global concert firm Live Nation said it would be increasing security at its venues

Civil war erupted in Syria four years ago, and now President Bashar al-Assad's government, IS, an array of Syrian rebels and Kurdish fighters all hold territory. Millions have been displaced and more than 250,000 people killed as a result of the fighting.

French aircraft bombed Raqqa, the stronghold of IS in Syria, following Friday's attacks.

Syria vote

Mr Cameron has reiterated that he will not ask Parliament to vote on extending British military action into Syria until there is enough support.

"I need to build the argument, I need to take it to Parliament, I need to convince more people," he said.

Image copyrightReuters

Image captionThe England football squad participated in the silence during their training session

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionPeople continue to lay tributes at the place de la Republique in Paris following Friday's attacks

Image captionThis couple, who laid flowers at the French embassy in London, were in La Belle Equipe bar when a gunman open fire and killed their friend

Former defence secretary Liam Fox said the UK's failure to bomb IS targets in Syria was damaging its global reputation.

But he said bombing had limitations and "we're not going to be able to destroy ISIS [Islamic State] purely from the air - it is going to require co-ordination on the ground at some point".

Seven attackers died in the assault on the French capital, most of them after detonating suicide belts. Five were identified over the weekend, and on Monday another two were named.

Meanwhile in the UK, officers from the Met Police's Counter Terrorism Command unit are interviewing people returning from France who may have information.

The Met is also appealing for any potential witnesses to contact its anti-terrorist hotline, on 0800 789 321.

[SOURCE]

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