WASHINGTON: For Vladimir Putin, victory in Ukraine may run through Texas’ Rio Grande Valley.
In recent weeks, Russian state media and online accounts tied to the Kremlin have spread and amplified misleading and incendiary content about US immigration and border security. The campaign seems crafted to stoke outrage and polarization before the 2024 election for the White House, and experts who study Russian disinformation say Americans can expect more to come as Putin looks to weaken support for Ukraine and cut off a vital supply of aid.
In social media posts, online videos and stories on websites, these accounts misstate the impact of immigration, highlight stories about crimes committed by immigrants, and warn of dire consequences if the US doesn’t crack down at its border with Mexico. Many are misleading, filled with cherry-picked data or debunked rumors.
The pivot toward the United States comes after two years in which Russia’s vast disinformation apparatus was busy pushing propaganda and disinformation about its invasion of Ukraine. Experts who study how authoritarian states use the Internet to spread disinformation say eroding support for Ukraine remains Russia’s top priority — and that the Kremlin is just finding new ways to do it.
“Things have shifted, even in the last few days,” said Kyle Walter, head of research at Logically, a tech company that tracks disinformation campaigns. While experts and government officials have long warned of Russia’s intentions, Walter said the content spotted so far this year “is the first indication that I’ve seen that Russia is actually going to focus on US elections.”
This month Logically identified dozens of pro-Russian accounts posting about immigration in the US, with a particular interest in promoting recent anti-immigration rallies in Texas. A recent Logically assessment concluded that after two years spent largely dedicated to the war in Ukraine, Russia’s disinformation apparatus has “started 2024 with a focus on the US”
Many posts highlight crimes allegedly committed by recent immigrants or suggest migrants are a burden on local communities. Some claims were posted by accounts with tiny audiences; others were made by state media sites with millions of followers.
This week the accounts seized on the recent death of a Georgia nursing student and the arrest of a Venezuelan man who had entered the US illegally and was allowed to stay to pursue his immigration case. The killing quickly became a rallying cry for former President Donald Trump and other Republicans who suggest that migrants commit crimes more often than do US citizens. The evidence does not support those claims.
The content, crafted in English, has quickly found its way to websites and platforms popular with American voters. Footage of a recent anti-immigration protest broadcast by Russian outlet RT, for example, was racking up thousands of views this week on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and prompting angry replies from other users.
The Russian outlet Sputnik ran a story this week about growing calls to build a US-Mexico border wall, a priority for Trump, who failed to complete the job as president. An analysis of other sites that later linked to the Sputnik piece shows more than half were in the US, according to data from the online analytics firm Semrush.com. Overall, Americans make up the English-language Sputnik’s largest audience.
US officials have warned that Russia could seek to meddle in the elections of dozens of countries in 2024, when more than 50 nations accounting for half of the world’s population are scheduled to hold national votes. While Russia has a strategic interest in the outcome of many of them — the European Parliament, for one — few offer the opportunity and the prize that America does.
For Russia’s bid to conquer Ukraine, this year’s US election stakes couldn’t be higher. President Joe Biden has pledged to fully back Ukraine. Republicans have been far less supportive. Trump has openly praised Putin and the former president has suggested he would encourage Russia to attack America’s NATO allies if they don’t pay their fair share for the military alliance.
More than half of Republicans believe the US is spending too much on Ukraine, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that found Democrats to be much more supportive of additional aid.
Soon after the war started, Russia mounted a disinformation campaign designed to cut into support for Ukraine. Claims included wild stories about secret US germ warfare labs or Nazi conspiracies or that Ukrainian refugees were committing crimes and taking jobs from people who had welcomed them.
That effort continues, but Russia also has shifted its attention to issues with no obvious tie to Moscow that are more likely to create cracks in the unity of its adversaries — for example immigration, or inflation, high-profile topics in the US and Europe.
“They’re very savvy and understand the right buttons to push,” said Bret Schafer, senior fellow and head of the information manipulation team at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, a Washington-based nonprofit. “If your ultimate objective is to reduce support for Ukraine, your inroad might be talking about how bad things are on the southern border. Their path to win this thing is to get the US and the E.U. to stop sending weapons and aid to Ukraine.”
A message left with the Russian Embassy in Washington wasn’t immediately returned.
America’s election may also be a tempting target for other authoritarian nations such as China and Iran that, like Russia, have shown a willingness to use online propaganda and disinformation to further their objectives.
The online landscape has dramatically shifted since Russia sought to meddle in America’s 2016 presidential race won by Trump. Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have banned many Russian state accounts and built new safeguards aimed at preventing anyone from exploiting their sites. In one recent example, Meta, the owner of Facebook, announced last fall that it had identified and stopped a network of thousands of fake accounts created in China in an apparent effort to fool American voters.
Other platforms, including X, have taken a different approach, rolling back or even eliminating content moderation and rules designed to stop disinformation. Then there is TikTok, whose ties to China and popularity with young people have set off alarms in several state capitals and Washington.
Artificial intelligence is another concern. The technology now makes it easier than ever to create audio or video that is lifelike enough to fool voters.
Social media is no longer the only battleground either. Increasingly, Russia and other disinformation spreaders use encrypted messaging sites or websites that masquerade as legitimate news outlets.
“A lot of their activity has moved off the major platforms to places where they can operate more freely,” said John Hultquist, chief analyst at Mandiant Intelligence, a cybersecurity firm monitoring Russian disinformation.
Walter, Logically’s research director, said he is most concerned about disinformation on X and TikTok this year, given their lack of controls and their popularity, especially with young voters. TikTok’s ties to China have raised national security concerns.
He said that while election years tend to highlight the dangers of disinformation, the most effective information operations are launched years in advance. America’s adversaries have spent a long time studying its politics, building online networks and cultivating domestic divisions.
Now comes the payoff.
“They don’t need to put a ton of effort into causing disinformation,” Walter said. “They’ve already laid the groundwork leading up to 2024.”
Russian ‘disinformation’ campaign on US immigration woes find way into American voter platforms
https://arab.news/ryt4h
Russian ‘disinformation’ campaign on US immigration woes find way into American voter platforms
- Disinformation is worse on X and TikTok, given their lack of controls, says Logically, a tech company that tracks disinformation campaigns
- Russia and other disinformation spreaders also use encrypted messaging sites or websites that masquerade as legitimate news outlets
Google says it has resolved global service outage impacting multiple platforms
Alphabet’s Google said on Thursday it had resolved a brief global service disruption on its platforms that affected multiple services such as music streamer Spotify and instant messaging provider Discord.
“The issue with Google Chat, Google Meet, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Cloud Search, Google Tasks, Google Voice has been resolved for all affected users,” the company said.
“We will publish an analysis of this incident once we have completed our internal investigation.”
The outage disrupted services on platforms such as Spotify, Snapchat and Discord that rely on the tech giant’s cloud managed services and infrastructure.
Google Cloud’s dashboard said engineering teams were working to resolve a few services still seeing some residual impact.
The outage began around 1:50 p.m. ET and there were 14,729 reports of Google Cloud being down in the US around 2:32 p.m. ET, according to tracking website Downdetector.com.
At the peak of the disruption, there were about 46,000 outage reports on Spotify and 10,992 on Discord in the US As of 6:18 p.m. ET, Spotify showed a little over 1,000 reports, while Discord outages had come down to 200.
Downdetector’s numbers are based on user-submitted reports. The outage might have affected a larger number of users. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)
Pilgrims through the lens: How photographers document scenes of faith during Hajj
MAKKAH: Every year, the holy lands transform into a unique visual spectacle pulsing with faith and human diversity, drawing the world’s eyes to Makkah, where millions of Muslims perform the pilgrimage of Hajj.
During this period of spiritual and human momentum, photographers stand as visual historians, conveying to the world unforgettable scenes through their lenses that capture moments of worship, tears, unity, mercy, and cultural diversity.
Photographer Anas Al-Harthi said: “When I carry my camera during Hajj season, I feel that I am not just documenting an event but painting a grand canvas of faith in human colors from every continent.”
He added: “A photographer during Hajj does not just take a picture — he moves with a deep sense that this shot may remain a witness to a moment that will never be repeated in the pilgrim’s life.”
Al-Harthi pointed out that the greatest challenge is respecting the sanctity of the scene without interfering with it, which requires a high artistic sense and an appreciation of place, time and situation.
Photographer Anas Bakhsh said that the experience of photographing during Hajj places the photographer at the heart of human emotion.
“Thousands of faces pass before you, and each face carries a story, every tear bears a prayer, and every movement expresses longing and contentment. Sometimes I feel that the photo I took is an answered prayer for someone in a moment of complete submission to God.”
He said that the scene forever engraved in his memory is when crowds gather on the plain of Arafat at the same time, a majestic sight where differences between people dissolve and the sounds of Talbiyah and supplication rise.
Photographer Faisal Al-Thaqafi said that professional photography during Hajj is not only about technical skill, but also about cultural and religious awareness, and the ability to engage with the scene with the spirit of a believing photographer. “The photographer during Hajj is not just a professional holding a camera — he is an eye pulsing with faith, translating emotion into imagery.”
He added: “Sometimes you capture an image of an elderly pilgrim raising his hands to the sky, and you realize that this photo will remain in people’s hearts more than any commentary or report — because it is sincere, pure, and simple.”
The three photographers agree that the logistical challenges — crowds, heat, and problems involving mobility — do not stand in the way of their passion. Instead, they drive them to exert double the effort to document this unique event.
Bakhsh said: “Every season, I return home with thousands of photos, but I keep only one or two for myself — those images that I feel touched something inside me and perhaps touched the hearts of millions around the world.”
Al-Thaqafi said that a successful photograph during Hajj is not only one of high visual quality, but one that conveys a genuine emotion. “The strongest images are those that do not need an explanation. You see a pilgrim smiling or crying, and you feel your heart tremble.”
Al-Harthi believes that a photograph can change the world’s perception of Hajj and bring this great ritual closer to non-Muslims as well, saying: “We are not working only for documentation — we are working to build a human bridge, where the spirit of Islam is shown through an honest and professional lens.”
With these sincere lenses, the Hajj season becomes an open exhibition of spirituality, where photos tell stories that words cannot express, and bear witness to the greatest annual human gathering, where everyone is equal in attire, and united in purpose: seeking mercy and forgiveness.
Amid this visual momentum created by photographers through their lenses, the impact of these images is also felt by the pilgrims themselves and by millions of followers on social media. Syrian pilgrim Omar Al-Kadeeb, from Deir Ezzor, said: “Photos of relatives who performed the pilgrimage in the holy sites and near the Kaaba reached my family and friends within minutes and spread widely. At that moment, we felt like we were part of their spiritual journey despite the distance.” He added: “I saw images taken of pilgrims from all nationalities, and I found myself moving emotionally through the scenes — from a father crying in prayer, to a child smiling in Arafat, to a woman raising her hands to the sky in a profoundly moving moment that cannot be described.”
Al-Kadeeb said that the professional photos shared by photographers on platforms such as X, Instagram and TikTok enhance the status of Hajj in people’s hearts and make it feel more relatable and more meaningful to the viewer — even if they are not performing Hajj themselves.
“I believe every beautiful image from Hajj is an indirect invitation for people to dream of Hajj and to realize the greatness of this immense pillar,” Al-Kadeeb said.
He concluded with high praise for the photographers: “They are not just professionals — they are messengers of peace and beauty, delivering the message in today’s universal language: a photo.”
Arab News honored in London on its 50th anniversary
- Well-attended event organized by Global Arab Network at Frontline Club discussed news in the era of digital transformation and AI
- Attendees saw preview of “Rewriting Arab News,” a film about the newspaper’s relaunch and transformation between 2016 and 2018
LONDON: To mark the 50th anniversary of Arab News, the Global Arab Network hosted on Friday an event at the Frontline Club featuring a documentary preview and a panel discussion on the newspaper’s digital transformation and the growing impact of artificial intelligence on the future of media.
Welcoming guests, Ghassan Ibrahim, founder of the London-based Global Arab Network, commended Arab News, saying it has become “one of the most trusted newspapers in the Middle East.”
“Global Arab Network works to help people from Arab countries and other parts of the world understand each other better. They support projects that connect cultures, support development, and share news and ideas,” he said.
“Their work is similar to what Arab News does — they both want to bring the East and West closer together.”
FASTFACT
The Frontline Club in London describes itself as “a gathering place for journalists, photographers and other likeminded people interested in international affairs” that champions “independent journalism and freedom of speech; rallies the “protection of press freedom;” and “fights for the safety of freelancers in doing their important work.”
In his address, Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas said: “We thank the Global Arab Network for hosting this event and presenting the documentary. We hope that the attendees can benefit from the Arab News digital transformation success story as we all brace for an AI-led future”
He added: “For the past 50 years, Arab News has been at the forefront of technology when it comes to news gathering, verification, research and distribution. We vow to continue on this path, and our latest podcast, launched using Google NotebookLM, is a testimony to our commitment.”
The Frontline Club event in London was attended by renowned dignitaries, diplomats and journalists including Saudi Editor Othman Al-Omair, Asharq Network’s Nabeel Khatib and Al Majalla Editor in Chief, Ibrahim Hamidi.
Members of parliament, lecturers from British universities and former ministers and ambassadors were also among the attendees.
The event saw a preview of “Rewriting Arab News,” a short film about the newspaper’s relaunch and digital transformation between 2016 and 2018, which was presented by Global Arab Network.
The event paid tribute to the brothers Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz, who launched Arab News as Saudi Arabia’s first English-language daily newspaper, from a small garage in their hometown, Jeddah, while depicting the publication’s growth and milestones in the runup to it relaunch.
The evening also discussed how Arab News is consistently launching new initiatives and projects as part of its preparations for an AI-driven future.
“In 2000, less than 7 percent of the world’s population was connected to the internet; 25 years later, more than 60 percent of the world is connected to the internet,” Abbas said.
“We are at the brink of an AI revolution that is already happening, and the evolution of the news industry continues. We hope that Arab news can continue this challenge and thrive under this challenge.”
Arab News was established in 1975 under the slogan, “The Middle East’s Leading English Language Daily,” to give Arabs a voice in English while documenting the major transformations taking place across the Middle East.
In April 2018, Arab News changed its 43-year-old logo with a new one as well as its motto to “The Voice of a Changing Region.” The newspaper relaunched with a new design and a new approach to stories that it believed was better suited to the internet age.
“Since 1975, Arab News has been the voice of the Arab world and the newspaper of record for Saudi Arabia and the wider region. As this region changes, and as the Arab world faces new challenges and new political, social and economic realities, so must that voice change. And so must Arab News,” the newspaper said in an editorial on April 4.
Arab News is marking its 50th anniversary at a shifting moment, as Lebanon and Syria form new governments and the Middle East prepares for a high-level conference on the Palestinian two-state solution, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, in New York this June.
“It’s remarkable looking back at history to see the pattern of how history repeats itself, but sometimes it could be a happy ending,” said Abbas.
A panel discussion after the screening of the documentary featured Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu); Juan Senor, partner at Innovation Media Consulting Group; and Abbas.
“Like Arab News, tech giants Apple and Google also started in garages — there’s something to be said about that,” Doyle said.
He praised Arab News for consistently reinventing itself “not just to keep up with the times, but to stay ahead of them.”
In April, Arab News launched its 50th anniversary collection, highlighting key events that shaped the Middle East over the past five decades, alongside the newspaper’s own evolution.
As part of its digital transformation efforts and complementing the anniversary project, Arab News released a podcast series last month. Produced using Google’s AI-powered research tool, NotebookLM, it features artificial hosts and AI-generated voices recounting pivotal moments that defined the region’s recent history.
Senor said: “Arab News has consistently set the standard for English-language journalism in the region, offering clarity and credibility at a time when balanced narratives about the Middle East are more important than ever.”
He added: “Arab News has played a crucial role in elevating regional voices that were often overlooked or misrepresented in international discourse — it’s journalism with purpose, not just headlines.”
As part of the same series of initiatives marking its 50th anniversary, Arab News hosted a special reception and talk last month in collaboration with Google on the opening day of the Arab Media Summit in Dubai in the UAE.
During the May 26 reception, Mona Al-Marri, director-general of Dubai Media Office, Government of Dubai, said: “I hope that all media outlets in our region follow in the steps of Arab News, because this is when you set a good working model for the whole region. … Arab News is leading this transformation.”
In a region where over 50 percent of the population is young, she added, “we should all follow this model.”
In his keynote speech at the event, Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, said: “Let’s all agree that how we create and consume media is changing dramatically. Look at the average attention span, which is eight seconds.”
He said the disruptive power of AI — from disinformation to audience mistrust — makes the “human touch” more vital than ever. “AI may be the hero of the next media chapter, but self-critique, adaptability and editorial responsibility will define its success,” Belhoul said.
Arab News, headquartered in Riyadh, has expanded its digital voice by establishing bureaus in London, Pakistan and Dubai, besides editions published in French and Japanese.
France eyes social media ban for under-15s after school stabbing
- A secondary school pupil was arrested on Tuesday after fatally stabbing a 31-year-old school assistant during a bag search in Nogent, eastern France
- President Emmanuel Macron said France would move ahead with a ban if the EU fails to make progress on a proposal to ban the platform for children in the coming months
PARIS: French authorities have announced plans to ban social media for under-15s and the sale of knives to minors after the murder of a teaching assistant by a 14-year-old boy plunged the country into shock.
A secondary school pupil was arrested on Tuesday after killing a 31-year-old school assistant with a knife during a bag search in Nogent in eastern France.
Friends and well-wishers left flowers and messages of support in front of the secondary school struck by the tragedy.
“We share your pain,” read one message.
Laurence Raclot, who knew the teaching assistant, Melanie, said she was “stunned.”
“She was great with kids,” Raclot said. “In a quiet little town, we never would have thought this could happen.”
A former hairdresser, Melanie had retrained and worked at the school since September. She was the mother of a four-year-old boy and a councillor in a village near Nogent.
“There are no words,” added another local, Sabrina Renault. “It’s really sad for her whole family, for that little boy who’s left without his mum.”
Pupils and parents were seen entering and leaving the school, where a psychological support unit has been set up.
The suspect will remain in police custody for a further 24 hours, until Thursday morning, a police source told AFP on Wednesday. Little information has been released about his motive.
In the wake of the attack, authorities promised a raft of measures to tackle knife crime among children.
“I am proposing banning social media for children under 15,” President Emmanuel Macron said on X on Tuesday evening. “Platforms have the ability to verify age. Let’s do it,” he added.
Backed by France and Spain, Greece has spearheaded a proposal for how the EU should limit children’s use of online platforms as evidence shows that social media can have negative effects on children’s mental and physical health.
Macron said on Tuesday that if no progress was made within several months, then France would go ahead with the ban unilaterally.
“We cannot wait,” he told broadcaster France 2.
France has in recent years seen several attacks on teachers and pupils by other schoolchildren.
In March, police started random searches for knives and other weapons concealed in bags at and around schools.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Francois Bayrou’s office said a ban on the sale of knives to minors will be implemented by a decree issued within the next two weeks.
Speaking to broadcaster TF1 on Tuesday evening, Bayrou said that the measure would come into force “immediately.”
The list will include “any knife that can be used as a weapon,” he said.
He also said parents and educators should be watching for “signs that a teenager is not doing well,” while acknowledging that there was a shortage of psychologists.
Bayrou has also called for a trial of metal detectors in schools.
Education Minister Elisabeth Borne called for a minute’s silence to be held in all French schools at midday on Thursday to honor the memory of the teaching assistant.
“The entire educational community is in shock, as is the whole nation,” she told France Inter radio on Wednesday.
Borne said she was “open to anything” to improve safety but added that ceramic blades would be invisible to metal detectors.
She also said that young people should be protected from “overexposure to screens.”
But trade unions said they were not sure how these proposals would be implemented and enforced.
“Teaching assistants have primarily educational duties within the school environment,” said Sophie Venetitay, general secretary of the SNES-FSU teachers’ union.
But, she added, “little by little, we have seen attempts to turn them into security guards.”
Remy Reynaud of the CGT Educ’action union criticized the government’s decision to introduce bag searches outside schools.
“They increase tensions,” he said.
“School management are pressuring teaching assistants to participate in the searches, which is not part of their duties.”
Musk regrets some of his Trump criticisms, says they ‘went too far’
- ‘I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far’
WASHINGTON: Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and Donald Trump’s former adviser, said Wednesday he regretted some of his recent criticisms of the US president, after the pair’s public falling-out last week.
“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X.
Musk’s expression of regret came just days after Trump threatened the tech billionaire with “serious consequences” if he sought to punish Republicans who vote for a controversial spending bill.
Their blistering break-up – largely carried out on social media before a riveted public since Thursday last week – was ignited by Musk’s harsh criticism of Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful” spending bill, which is currently before Congress.
Some lawmakers who were against the bill had called on Musk – one of the Republican Party’s biggest financial backers in last year’s presidential election – to fund primary challenges against Republicans who voted for the legislation.
“He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,” Trump, who also branded Musk “disrespectful,” told NBC News on Saturday, without specifying what those consequences would be.
Trump also said he had “no” desire to repair his relationship with the South African-born Tesla and SpaceX chief, and that he has “no intention of speaking to him.”
In his post on Wednesday, Musk did not specify which of his criticisms of Trump had gone “too far.”
The former allies had seemed to have cut ties amicably about two weeks ago, with Trump giving Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
But their relationship cracked within days as Musk described the spending bill as an “abomination” that, if passed by Congress, could define Trump’s second term in office.
Trump hit back at Musk’s comments in an Oval Office diatribe and from there the row detonated, leaving Washington stunned.
“Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised,” Trump told reporters.
Musk, who was Trump’s biggest donor to his 2024 campaign, also raised the issue of the Republican’s election win.
“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,” he posted, adding: “Such ingratitude.”
Trump later said on his Truth Social platform that cutting billions of dollars in subsidies and contracts to Musk’s companies would be the “easiest way” to save the US government money. US media have put the value of the contracts at $18 billion.
With real political and economic risks to their falling out, both appeared to inch back from the brink on Friday, with Trump telling reporters “I just wish him well,” and Musk responding on X: “Likewise.”
Trump had spoken to NBC on Saturday after Musk deleted one of the explosive allegations he had made during their fallout, linking the president with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Musk had alleged that the Republican president is featured in unreleased government files on former associates of Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while he faced sex trafficking charges.
Trump was named in a trove of deposition and statements linked to Epstein that were unsealed by a New York judge in early 2024. The president has not been accused of any wrongdoing in the case.
“Time to drop the really big bomb: (Trump) is in the Epstein files,” Musk posted on X. “That is the real reason they have not been made public.”
Musk did not reveal which files he was talking about and offered no evidence for his claim.
He appeared to have deleted those tweets by Saturday morning.
