Today's Top 3 News: What Triggered the Viral SEAblings vs. Knetz Online Battle?

14 hours ago 15

February 15, 2026 | 03:20 pm

A meme of online debates between Southeast Asian people (SEAblings) and South Koreans. Photo: X

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tempo English compiled the top 3 news on Sunday, February 15, 2026. Here are the highlights: What Triggered the Viral SEAblings vs. Knetz Online Battle?; Fact Check: Viral Cannibalism Photos Not Part of the Epstein Files; and Fact Check: Claims of Bill Gates Planning Covid-19 in Epstein Files Misleading.

The following is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today:

1. What Triggered the Viral SEAblings vs. Knetz Online Battle?

In recent days, the topic of SEAblings vs. Knetz has fueled frequent discussions on social media platform X and various online media. This conflict originated from a debate between Southeast Asian netizens, who call themselves SEAblings, and South Korean netizens, known as Knetz. This dispute has escalated from a minor issue to a widespread argument among internet users across different countries.

What are SEAblings and Knetz?

SEAblings combines "SEA" (Southeast Asia) and "siblings." The term is used by netizens from Southeast Asian nations, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam, to identify as a group that supports one another within the region.

Conversely, Knetz is an abbreviation for Korean netizens, a term for internet users from South Korea who actively comment and engage in online discussions. In this specific context, the term identifies the group of South Korean netizens participating in the conversations related to this conflict.

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2. Fact Check: Viral Cannibalism Photos Not Part of the Epstein Files

A number of X [archive] and Facebook accounts (account 1, account 2) posted a series of photos in early February 2026, claiming to be part of the Epstein Files and related to cannibalism. These images show individuals at a dinner table consuming dishes that resemble human bodies.

One account narrated that Epstein's circle practiced secret cannibalism in addition to child sexual abuse. Another post linked this narrative to the film What You Wish For, accusing it of depicting the Epstein group's consumption of infant flesh and organs.

"Not only child sexual abuse, but there are still many unrevealed issues, such as cannibalism," wrote one account.

So, is it true that the Epstein Files revealed photos of people eating human flesh?

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3. Fact Check: Claims of Bill Gates Planning Covid-19 in Epstein Files Misleading

A number of posts across various Facebook [archive] and Instagram accounts claim that Bill Gates and Jeffrey Epstein have been planning the Covid-19 pandemic since 2017. This narrative emerged after the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) released millions of documents from the Epstein Files to the public in late 2025.

The claim cites a document titled "EFTA02657725.pdf", which contains correspondence between Gates and Epstein regarding a strain pandemic simulation. The posts allege that this email is authentic evidence that Gates conducted a Covid-19 simulation long before the global outbreak occurred.

Is this correspondence between Bill Gates and Epstein truly evidence that the Covid-19 pandemic was orchestrated as early as 2017?

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Today's Top 3 News: Cannibalism Rumors in the Epstein Files, Countries Competing in the 2026 Olympics

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Today's Top 3 News: Cannibalism Rumors in the Epstein Files, Countries Competing in the 2026 Olympics