Facebook has uncovered a fake internet-based news network operated from India that ran pro-Qatari content including a website first exposed by The National as a bogus publisher.
The social media network's first monthly report into information operations exploiting its platform highlighted the website Manchester Weekly, which it said was at the heart of an international publishing operation that sought to target Qatar's neighbours.
The Facebook monthly statement said the network had been banished from its platform.
"We removed a network of 37 Facebook accounts, 32 pages, 11 groups and 42 Instagram accounts," the report said.
"This activity originated in India and focused on the Gulf region, United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.
"Although the people behind this network attempted to conceal their identities and co-ordination, our investigation found links to aRep Global, a digital marketing firm in India."
The National reported in January 2018 that Manchester Weekly was publishing false reports on conflict zones such as Somalia, including fabricated UN reports.
The website invented a political editor under the name of Carmelo Cruz. The Twitter account under the Cruz name was set up as far back as 2015. The account was suspended on Tuesday.
The National last year exposed another fake writer named Marcus Salles, who had moved from publishing material on Manchester Weekly using the blogsite Medium to niche news sites including Asia Times and LobeLog.
Graphika, a social media analysis and research company, worked on the Facebook report. It called the campaign Operation Red Card, a reflection of the leading role that football played in its fake reports.
The output was slanted against Manchester City FC, which is owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs in the UAE. It also most recently sought to target a rumoured bid for Newcastle United from Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile there were fabricated articles enthusiastically supporting Qatar's role hosting the 2022 Fifa World Cup of football.
Graphika said it was a prime example of online influence for hire and very closely managed with an active policy of switching between online platforms.
"The persona Manchester Weekly UK was active at different times across different platforms," the Graphika report said.
"On Instagram, it posted 16 times between December 2017 and October 2018. Each post featured a branded meme, a short text and an invitation to click on the outlet’s link in its bio.
"The posts covered a range of subjects, including US foreign policy, the protests against French President Emmanuel Macron, and Kremlin propaganda. Again, they devoted significant coverage to Saudi and UAE policy, especially toward Yemen."
The common formula across the network run out of India was to post praise for Qatar and critiques of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Facebook said in its report.
The accounts authors posed as local journalists and activists, and drove traffic to websites masquerading as local news outlets.
Facebook said it spent less than $450 on ads and had about 100,000 followers across Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook has sporadically released information about individual operations that it was sanctioning to try to address fears about breaches of its terms of use.
The report gave details of a total of five operations banished from Facebook, including an Egyptian network that operated 333 Facebook accounts, as well as hundreds of other platforms.
The sites were linked by Facebook to the Egyptian companies New Wave and Flexell.
They posted non-country specific memes in addition to content about local news and topics including alleged support of terrorism by Qatar, Turkey and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord.
Accounts connected to that operation spent around $48,500 on ads boosting their content and had more than 6 million followers across Facebook and Instagram, a popular photo-sharing app.
Other operations were based in Iran, Russia and Myanmar. The February action brings to the number of networks busted for coordinated inauthentic behaviour to 50.
The National tried to contact aRep Global but has not received a response.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Section 375
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Meera Chopra & Rahul Bhat
Director: Ajay Bahl
Producers: Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak & SCIPL
Rating: 3.5/5
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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