India is holding its general election over nearly six weeks starting on April 11, when millions of voters will cast ballots in the world's biggest democracy. AFP
India is holding its general election over nearly six weeks starting on April 11, when millions of voters will cast ballots in the world's biggest democracy. AFP
India is holding its general election over nearly six weeks starting on April 11, when millions of voters will cast ballots in the world's biggest democracy. AFP
India is holding its general election over nearly six weeks starting on April 11, when millions of voters will cast ballots in the world's biggest democracy. AFP

Facebook removes partisan Indian social media operations before elections


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Facebook said on Monday that it had removed hundreds of pages conducting social media warfare between India's two largest parties, less than two weeks before the country's general election.

About $110,000 (Dh404,000) in advertising was spent over five years between operations advocating for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its rival, Congress.

The company also removed more than 100 pages operated by the propaganda arm of the Pakistani military, primarily about the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Searches by The National show that sister pages of the operations still operate on Twitter, continuing to push partisan content throughout Monday, and back-up pages also exist on Facebook.

Nathaniel Gleicher, head of Cyber-Security Policy at Facebook, said the company removed the pages because those operating them were trying to "mislead others about who they were and what they were doing", not because of the content.

Facebook called it "co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour" and said it removed more than 600 pages and accounts linked to an IT cell of Congress, the main Indian opposition party.

The pages, operated by members of Congress's "cyber army", spent about $39,000 in targeted advertisements over nearly five years. Some made their allegiance to Congress explicit but it was hidden in others.

Facebook also removed 15 pages, groups and accounts associated with an Indian IT firm, Silver Touch, which pushed pro-BJP content.

It focused on a single brand – The Indian Eye – which had more than 2.6 million likes on its Facebook page and a presence on Instagram.

Sample posts show content praising the Indian government for a recent test of an anti-satellite missile test in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India a "space superpower".

The cartoon's caption reads, "India has become a super power in space also", while Mr Modi says “Hail Mother India!”. Facebook Newsroom
The cartoon's caption reads, "India has become a super power in space also", while Mr Modi says “Hail Mother India!”. Facebook Newsroom

Almost 5 million rupees (Dh257,000) was spent by the pages and accounts between June 2014 and February 2019.

Ben Nimmo, a fellow at the Atlantic Research Council, who studied the pages before they were taken down, told The National the pro-Congress network did not try to hid its operations, but the pro-BJP campaign had a level of deniability.

Facebook's investigation traced the page to Silver Touch, but had not managed to link them directly to the BJP.

Mr Nimmo was sceptical of the company's independence.

"Would a commercial company that has overtly done stuff for the BJP start running a very high-following set of covert accounts also supporting the BJP, without the BJP knowing about it?" he asked.

Each operation's posts struck a different tone. The Congress content was satirical and across most metrics less successful, while the pro-BJP operation published vitriolic posts against opponents and glorified Mr Modi, gaining a higher level of engagement.

'The India Eye' still active

Despite the pages being removed, The India Eye still has a presence across social media channels.

There are two versions of the page – one posting mainly in English and the other in Hindi – under the same name and logo, still live on Facebook. The pages have not posted any adverts and were created last year.

Mr Nimmo said these ages were backups.

"If you're running a big brand and you lose it, you want to be able to rebuild your audience as fast as possible and one way to do that is to have a backup," he said.

A Twitter page continuing to post content in favour of the BJP on Monday. Twitter screenshot
A Twitter page continuing to post content in favour of the BJP on Monday. Twitter screenshot

On Twitter, an account with the same logo and name "Chowkidar The Indian Eye", linked to the removed Facebook page and with #Modi4PM2019, continued to post Tweets on Monday, praising Mr Modi's economic progress and calling opponent Rahul Gandhi's policies "April Fools".

Twitter has different rules, Mr Nimmo said. The page might not have been breaking its rules, even though the platform knew about it, he said.

Silver Touch, the firm whose staff are accused of operating the page, also designed Mr Modi's application and the online portals for the Indian army and navy, but did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Pakistani Military pages under the radar

Facebook also accused the public relations arm of the Pakistani military of operating dozens of Facebook pages and Instagram accounts.

The posts, recorded by the Atlantic Research Council, extolled the virtues of its military, spread anti-Indian themes about Kashmir and celebrated the official Pakistan Army spokesman, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor.

The pages were created as early as 2011, indicating the military PR was an early adopter of the tactic. About 2.8 million accounts followed one or more of the 24 Facebook pages and 15 Instagram accounts.

One page was called "Kashmir for Kashmiris" while another, called "Painter's Palette", showed a cartoon of captured Indian fighter pilot Wing Cmdr Abhinandan Varthaman flying on a Pakistani dove of peace.

A cartoon showing Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan and then released flying on a Pakistani dove of peace. Facebook newsroom
A cartoon showing Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan and then released flying on a Pakistani dove of peace. Facebook newsroom

"They managed to fly under the radar for a very long time," Mr Nimmo said. "Frankly, a lot of it was pretty crude stuff.

"Given that this was an operation run by Army PR, the number of posts they had praising the man in charge of Army PR was pretty funny."

But again, despite being taken down from Facebook and Instagram, there are still accounts linking to and copying the Facebook pages.

There is a rich field of news sites, blogs and activists pages advocating for Pakistani sovereignty over Kashmir and it is often impossible to distinguish between the authentic and what Facebook calls "co-ordinated, inauthentic behaviour".

Searches of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram find dozens of pages appearing as news sites in Kashmir.

These revelations will make it harder for genuine activists in the disputed region, Mr Nimmo said.

"Now we have found that the Pakistani Army has been running pages and masquerading as pro-Kashmiri groups, the real pro-Kashmiri groups are going to have a hard time proving that they're not army related," he said.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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HAJJAN
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Company profile

Date started: December 24, 2018

Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer

Based: Dubai Media City

Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)

Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech

Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year

Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020

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%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20will%20host%20Scotland%20for%20a%20three-match%20T20I%20series%20at%20the%20Dubai%20International%20Stadium%20next%20month.%3Cbr%3EThe%20two%20sides%20will%20start%20their%20Cricket%20World%20Cup%20League%202%20campaigns%20with%20a%20tri-series%20also%20involving%20Canada%2C%20starting%20on%20January%2029.%3Cbr%3EThat%20series%20will%20be%20followed%20by%20a%20bilateral%20T20%20series%20on%20March%2011%2C%2013%20and%2014.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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%3Cp%3EArtist%3A%20Kokoroko%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Brownswood%20Recordings%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global Fungi Facts

• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
FIXTURES

New Zealand v France, second Test
Saturday, 12.35pm (UAE)
Auckland, New Zealand

South Africa v Wales
Sunday, 12.40am (UAE), San Juan, Argentina

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 drivers' standings

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281

2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247

3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222

4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177

5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138

6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93

7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86

8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56

Bharatanatyam

A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Short-term let permits explained

Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.

Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.

There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.

Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Hurricanes 31-31 Lions

Wellington Hurricanes: 
Tries: Gibbins, Laumape, Goosen, Fifita tries, Barrett
Conversions: Barrett (4)
Penalties: Barrett

British & Irish Lions:
Tries: Seymour (2), North
Conversions: Biggar (2)
Penalties: Biggar (4)

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clinicy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Prince%20Mohammed%20Bin%20Abdulrahman%2C%20Abdullah%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%20and%20Saud%20bin%20Sulaiman%20Alobaid%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Riyadh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2025%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20More%20than%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Middle%20East%20Venture%20Partners%2C%20Gate%20Capital%2C%20Kafou%20Group%20and%20Fadeed%20Investment%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

THE BIO

Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren

Favourite travel destination: Switzerland

Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers

Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
  • Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
  • Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
  • Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
  • Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
  • Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
  • Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Jetour T1 specs

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Volvo ES90 Specs

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F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

MATCH RESULT

Liverpool 4 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
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The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

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