DubaiNews

01/04/2024

Eid Al Fitr holidays for UAE private sector announced - -Fitr - DNTV, Staff ReporterThe Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) on Monday announced Eid Al Fitr holidays for private sector.The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) on its X platform wrote “that Monday, 29 Ramadan (8 April 2024) to 3 Shawwal (or what is equivalent to it in Gregorian calendar) will be a paid holiday for all employees in the private sector across the UAE on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr.”On Sunday the UAE Cabinet had announced that the Eid Al Fitr holiday for the federal government sector will start on Monday, 8th April 2024, for a period of one week. Regular working hours would then resume on Monday, 15th April.The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources has issued a circular regarding the Eid Al Fitr holiday to all federal entities. -

On Sunday the UAE Cabinet had announced that the Eid Al Fitr holiday for the federal government sector will start on Monday, 8th April 2024, for a period of one week. Regular working hours would then resume on Monday, 15th April.

01/04/2024

As those fleeing al-Shifa get to south Gaza, they recount Israeli torture - - Two people, one who was in the besieged hospital and one who lived nearby, tell of their ordeal to escape.
Deir el-Balah, Gaza – Mohammad Sukkar is safe now – or safer – but even as the team at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah work to help him, his eyes fill with tears as he recounts his experience in al-Shifa Hospital.

The 27-year-old man fled south, wounded and stripped of his clothes, after days of siege and then detention by the Israeli army in the Shifa complex, along with dozens of other people.

“I had been displaced from al-Shujayea east of Gaza, which was destroyed and I was volunteering at the hospital after being displaced,” Sukkar told media, lying on a makeshift pallet fashioned out of some rough grey blankets on the floor.

“Late on a Monday … there was intense gunfire as Israeli tanks advanced towards the hospital,” he said.

“We didn’t know what was going on. The Israeli army ordered us via loudspeakers to stay inside the complex buildings and not move at all.”

Sukkar and dozens of other displaced people – many of them families with children – were trapped, along with sick people, for four agonising days in a Shifa building.

“We had no water or food. We were starving, and so afraid of the artillery shelling. All we could hear was the army booming through loudspeakers, shooting people and burning buildings around us,” he said.

“We didn’t even think of going outside.”

“The army opened fire, forcing us to beg for safe passage, telling them we wanted to get out as we were starving and there was no water.

“The soldiers insisted we return to the building but then, minutes later, they called out that all the men should stay and line up and the women should gather and head south.”

The soldiers made the men strip and hold their hands above their heads as they handcuffed and blindfolded them.

“For four days, we were shackled in the cold in the hospital courtyard without food or water,” he said, pausing as a medic came by and administered some medication to him.

“If we asked for anything, the soldiers shouted at us, kicked us with their boots, spat at us, and insulted us with the most horrific words,” Sukkar continued.

‘Waving white flags’

Eventually, the soldiers released some of the detainees, ordering them to go south – without their clothes or belongings.

“We started walking towards al-Rashid Street. I was with five young detainees and we were all shivering from cold and fear. The roads were full of tanks and soldiers, bodies on the ground – but we kept walking, our hands raised above our heads.”

After attacking him, the soldiers told Sukkar to go, but he had been beaten so hard he was not able to walk. So they loaded him into a military jeep and threw him out near the checkpoint.

“My hands and feet were very painful and bleeding. I was crawling until a passer-by saw me, gave me first aid, and took me to the hospital.”

Arriving at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in an ambulance was Mohammad Marshoud, a thin, subdued 25-year-old man with a clump of soiled medical cotton taped to one side of his head.

He was injured when Israeli forces shelled his family’s home in the vicinity of the al-Shifa Hospital, where he was staying with 15 family members, including his elderly parents, his sisters, their children and some cousins.

After an ordeal that lasted days, Marshoud was able to walk to the south with his cousin, both of them badly injured and stripped of all their clothing. He does not know the fate of any of the rest of his family.

It was only when emergency response teams found them that they were able to give them blue plastic gowns to protect them from the cold a bit.

“We were sleeping when we were surprised by the Israeli tanks,” Marshoud said of the day the siege began around al-Shifa.

“We got ready to flee but when I opened the door, there were tanks on our doorstep.

“Everyone was in extreme terror. We cowered in a small corridor, unable to move with all the shooting. The children were crying and the women screaming in fear. We were sure we’d all die.”

Artillery shells exploded in the house, wounding Marshoud, his cousin, and his elderly father, all of whom were hit by shrapnel in the head and back.

“We weren’t able to call an ambulance. We crawled around to grab bits of clothing or medical gauze from here and there in the house so we could stop our wounds bleeding,” said Marshoud, who works as a nurse. -

Two people, one who was in the besieged hospital and one who lived nearby, tell of their ordeal to escape.

01/04/2024

Dubai Autism Centre launches its 18th awareness campaign - - Under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, the Dubai Autism Centre launched its 18th one-month-long Autism Awareness Campaign coinciding with World Autism Awareness Day celebrated on 2 April, under the slogan “Trusting Parents, Empowered Kids”. Hisham Abdullah Al Qassim, Chairman of Dubai Autism Centre, said, “As part of worldwide efforts to advance autism awareness, the UAE joins the global community in celebrating World Autism Awareness Day. Our commitment is reflected in our notable achievements in empowering people of determination, and helping them become integral and valued members of our society. These accomplishments reflect the priority our wise leadership places on the inclusion of people of determination, the protection of their rights, and the recognition of their vital role in realising sustainable development objectives.”Al Qassim highlighted Sheikh Hamdan’s dedication to empowering people of determination by providing them with the resources needed to reach their full potential, and raising the UAE’s position as a global leader in integrating and ensuring the wellbeing of people of determination.Regarding the campaign’s aims, Mohammed Al Emadi, Director General of the Dubai Autism Centre said, “In alignment with the Dubai Social Agenda 33 launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, under the theme of ‘Family: The Foundation of Our Nation’, this year’s campaign emphasises the importance of building stronger bonds between parents and their children on the autism spectrum.” Al Emadi emphasised the significance of having faith in the capabilities of children with autism and taking pride in their achievements, which enables these children to engage fully in social activities. He stressed on the importance of their inclusion in social groups that are welcoming, ensuring they feel safe and supported within a nurturing family setting.Al Emadi also stated that the campaign features a variety of events and activities to promote awareness, most notably Ramadan awareness nights, workshops for mainstream teachers, and educational sessions for public and private sector organisations to create more autism-friendly environments and build a more inclusive and welcoming community for everyone.In a push for early intervention, Al Emadi also said the campaign will include free early autism screenings and comprehensive assessments of people with autism and developmental disorders.Al Emadi explained that the campaign will utilise mass media, cinemas, and a network of over 2,000 digital screens in public spaces across the UAE, including ENOC gas stations, Union Coops, Géant and Aswaaq supermarkets, and shopping centres. Al Emadi praised the efforts of the leading partners and supporters of the campaign, extending his special thanks to wasl Asset Management Group, the campaign’s strategic partner. He also extended his gratitude to the campaign’s main partners including Emirates Islamic Bank, Dubai Holding, Dubai Investments, Endowments and Minors’ Trust Foundation in Dubai (Awqaf Dubai), Union Coop, and GET Group. The Dubai Autism Centre’s Director General acknowledged the valuable support of their partners in the campaign, including Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Police, Dubai Airports, Dubai Health Authority, Emirates Health Services, Community Development Authority in Dubai, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Culture, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), Dubai World Trade Centre, and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library. Al Emadi also acknowledged the contributions of other sponsors and supporters, such as Aster DM Healthcare, Global Village, GMG Group, The Green Planet, Ski Dubai, The H Hotel, Nando’s, and SHEIN. He also extended his gratitude to the campaign’s media and advertising partners, including the Government of Dubai Media Office, as well as Zee Entertainment, Hypermedia Advertising, Hills Advertising, Novo Cinemas, Gulf News, Dar Al Khaleej, and ITP Media Group. He praised the efforts of Balsam Healthcare Development, represented by the ‘Balsam’ show on Noor Dubai Radio.As part of the campaign, the Dubai Autism Centre, in cooperation with the Community Development Authority in Dubai, is organising a Ramadan evening on Thursday (4th April) that features panel discussions. Topics that will be addressed include the importance of family support and ways to strengthen the relationship of parents with their children with autism, and enhance belief and pride in their abilities. The event, to be held at the Al Khawaneej Majlis in the presence of families of people with autism, government officials and representatives of POD centres, will include competitions, raffles, and prizes.Under the umbrella of the campaign, the Centre will also organise a number of awareness and training workshops to educate private school employees in Dubai on the basic approach to dealing with students with autism, in accordance with relevant legislation, procedures and systems.Highlighting the role of media in supporting the campaign, Ashok Namboodiri, Chief Business Officer- International Business said, “For over ten years, Zee Entertainment Middle East has partnered with the Dubai Autism Centre to raise awareness about autism and emphasise the significance of fostering inclusivity. It’s imperative that we acknowledge and honour the accomplishments of individuals and families navigating autism, facing additional hurdles daily. As a society, it’s vital for us to offer collective support. Leveraging the influence of media, our goal is to deepen awareness about autism through collaboration with the Dubai Autism Centre. We aspire to invoke societal change by uplifting individuals and practising compassion together.”On World Autism Awareness Day, landmarks across the world are illuminated in blue to honour the day. As part of the 18th annual autism awareness campaign, a number of landmarks in Dubai will light up in blue, including the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Frame, Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, Global Village, and Ain Dubai.Since its inception, the Dubai Autism Centre has been dedicated to increasing public understanding of autism. This effort goes beyond merely highlighting the symptoms, but also involves educating both individuals and organisations on how to engage properly with people with autism. At the forefront of this educational endeavour is their yearly autism awareness campaign, initiated in 2006. This campaign is strategically launched on World Autism Awareness Day each year.The Dubai Autism Centre was established in 2001 by a decree of the Ruler of Dubai as the first Emirati non-profit organisation in the UAE that aims to provide integrated consulting, educational, and specialised ther**eutic services in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As per Decree No. 26 of 2021, one of the Centre’s main objectives is to contribute to transforming Dubai into a leading global hub for special education programmes and specialised rehabilitative treatment services for people diagnosed with ASD.In 2017, the opening of the Centre’s largest facility in the region marked a significant leap forward in autism care and support. Located in the Al Garhoud area, its fully-equipped facility aims to cover the high demand for its services with a total built-up area of 270,000 square feet that increased its capacity to 150%. The facility includes 40 classrooms, 22 motor therapy clinics, 18 speech therapy clinics, three sensory-therapy rooms, and a range of laboratories and medical clinics designed according to the latest international standards to provide a suitable educational environment for children with autism.Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout a person’s life. ASD can cause significant social, communication, and behavioural challenges. According to recent studies, one in 36 children is affected by ASD. - https://dubainews.tv/?p=94297

01/04/2024

Are Sudan’s civil society activists being targeted by both warring sides? - - Sudan’s warring parties are using food as a weapon and targeting local activists for feeding their communities.
In Sudan’s war, even making food for the poor is dangerous.

On March 23, Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrested activists from the Sharq al-Nile neighbourhood in the war-torn capital, Khartoum, while they were supervising soup kitchens feeding thousands of hungry people every day.

The recent arrests in Khartoum are only part of a broader strategy of the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) – who are fighting for power in the country – to clamp down on civil society actors by arresting volunteers, limiting access to aid and obstructing the arrival of relief, according to local volunteers and aid groups.

“More arrests could affect the many poor people who depend on the [soup kitchens] to survive,” Musab Mahjoub, a human rights monitor in Sharq al-Nile, told media as a nationwide famine looms.

The reason for the March arrests is unknown.

“We tried to contact the RSF to ask … but they didn’t respond,” Mahjoub said, adding that the RSF had arrested activists running soup kitchens last month too, although they were all released days later.

Local relief groups have called on Western donors to support and protect them from warring parties they believe are profiteering off controlling humanitarian aid.

The response from the belligerents, the activists say, has been to arrest, kidnap, r**e, and even kill local relief workers to maintain a tight grip over aid operations.

ERRs started as local initiatives tasked with ferrying vulnerable people out of neighbourhoods where clashes were occurring and administering first aid to the wounded.

Over time, the ERRs grew distinct from the resistance committees and began soliciting donations from abroad to feed their hungry communities. But they are now facing similar threats to other civil activists in Sudan.

ERR volunteers operating in RSF-controlled areas say that total lawlessness puts them in constant fear of being arbitrarily arrested, beaten or r**ed.

Other ERR activists, who operate in SAF-controlled areas, say they are targeted by military intelligence and security factions tied to the “Kizan” – a common name for members of Sudan’s political Islamic movement that ruled alongside al-Bashir for three decades.

Key Kizan figures have come out of the shadows to support the army since the war, with activists saying they are targeting civil society in revenge for it overthrowing them in 2019.

Settling scores

Just last month, ERR spokesperson in Khartoum Hajooj Kuka said activists were targeted after the army recaptured neighbourhoods from the RSF in Omdurman, one of the three cities in the national capital region.

“Two youths were assassinated by the army … in the communal kitchen of a Sufi sheikh, called Wad Elamin. But now the army is OK with the sheikh and he’s working and opened another kitchen,” Kuka told media.

Weeks after war erupted, United Nations agencies and global relief groups that had evacuated Khartoum finally set up field offices in Port Sudan on the Red Sea – SAF’s de facto administrative capital now – which enabled the army to control the humanitarian response, aid groups told media.

Since then, the army has severely restricted UN agencies and aid groups from delivering relief to RSF-controlled regions, according to these aid groups.

“I’m worried that there is an underlying policy position in general [from the army] to starve out certain parts of the country for direct or indirect reasons and to divert aid elsewhere,” said the country director of one international relief organisation, who requested anonymity out of fear of losing even more access to deliver aid.

In the last month, no aid has reached RSF-controlled areas from Port Sudan, according to the spokesperson of one UN agency, who requested anonymity for fear of jeopardising current negotiations for aid delivery access.

The spokesperson told media that even when the UN obtains “some clearances” to move aid from Port Sudan, they are not given security guarantees from RSF fighters.

“The RSF is requesting payment in exchange for security guarantees,” the spokesperson said. “But that’s something that [we] won’t do, and can’t do.”

media sent questions to RSF spokesperson Abdulrahman al-Jaali, raising the allegations that the paramilitary was attempting to profiteer from aid convoys, but he did not respond.

A Western aid worker in Sudan, who was not authorised to speak due to the sensitivity of the matter, told media that UN agencies and other global relief groups should be prioritising their “humanitarian imperative” over respecting the sovereignty of Sudan’s de facto military authorities.

For months, global relief organisations and UN agencies have lobbied for aid delivery access from two land borders via South Sudan and Chad. But in March, Sudan’s army-aligned Ministry of Foreign Affairs revoked the World Food Programme’s (WFP’s) permission to provide food to West and Central Darfur from the Chadian town of Adre.

The ministry cited security reasons, saying the border had been used for arms transfers to the RSF.

Three days later, SAF approved WFP food shipments via Tina, Chad, a border area that connects with North Darfur, where both army and RSF troops are present. However, hundreds of thousands of people across West and Central Darfur are still starving. -

01/04/2024

AT&T says a data breach leaked millions of customers’ information online. Were you affected? - .S.news - NEW YORK (news agencies) — The theft of sensitive information belonging to millions of AT&T’s current and former customers has been recently discovered online, the telecommunications giant said this weekend.

In a Saturday announcement addressing the data breach, AT&T said that a dataset found on the “dark web” contains information including some Social Security numbers and passcodes for about 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders.

Whether the data “originated from AT&T or one of its vendors” is still unknown, the Dallas-based company noted — adding that it had launched an investigation into the incident. AT&T has also begun notifying customers whose personal information was compromised.

Here’s what you need to know.

Although varying by each customer and account, AT&T says that information involved in this breach included Social Security numbers and passcodes — which, unlike passwords, are numerical PINS that are typically four digits long.

Full names, email addresses, mailing address, phone numbers, dates of birth and AT&T account numbers may have also been compromised. The impacted data is from 2019 or earlier and does not appear to include financial information or call history, the company said.

Consumers impacted by this breach should be receiving an email or letter directly from AT&T about the incident. The email notices began going out on Saturday, an AT&T spokesperson confirmed to media.

Beyond these notifications, AT&T said that it had already reset the passcodes of current users. The company added that it would pay for credit monitoring services where applicable.

AT&T also said that it “launched a robust investigation” with internal and external cybersecurity experts to investigate the situation further.

AT&T has seen several data breaches that range in size and impact over the years.

While the company says the data in this latest breach surfaced on a hacking forum nearly two weeks ago, it closely resembles a similar breach that surfaced in 2021 but which AT&T never acknowledged, cybersecurity researcher Troy Hunt told the news agencies Saturday.

“If they assess this and they made the wrong call on it, and we’ve had a course of years pass without them being able to notify impacted customers,” then it’s likely the company will soon face class action lawsuits, said Hunt, founder of an Australia-based website that warns people when their personal information has been exposed.

A spokesperson for AT&T declined to comment further when asked about these similarities Sunday.

Avoiding data breaches entirely can be tricky in our ever-digitized world, but consumers can take some steps to help protect themselves going forward.

The basics include creating hard-to-guess passwords and using multifactor authentication when possible. If you receive a notice about a breach, it’s good idea to change your password and monitor account activity for any suspicious transactions. You’ll also want to visit a company’s official website for reliable contact information — as scammers sometimes try to take advantage of news like data breaches to gain your trust through look-alike phishing emails or phone calls.

In addition, the Federal Trade Commission notes that nationwide credit bureaus — such as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — offer free credit freezes and fraud alerts that consumers can set up to help protect themselves from identity theft and other malicious activity.

news agencies Reporter Matt O’Brien contributed to this report from Providence, Rhode Island. -

The theft of sensitive information belonging to millions of AT&T’s current and former customers has been recently discovered online.

01/04/2024

Chad official hails UAE's humanitarian efforts during Ramadan - - The UAE humanitarian team is carrying out its Ramadan programme in the Chadian city of Amdjarass. They are distributing Ramadan rations to Sudanese refugees and the local community. Additionally, they are visiting villages and towns near the city to evaluate residents’ needs and offer humanitarian aid.This comes in implementation of the directives of the wise leadership to respond to urgent humanitarian calls and extend a helping hand to the most needy groups.The team comprises the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), the Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, and The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation. The team works in cooperation with the UAE Aid Coordination Office in Chad.As part of its Ramadan campaign, the team distributed 6,000 food baskets, 500 relief bags, and living supplies to a number of villages in Amdjarass.The Ramadan baskets include basic food items such as rice, flour, sugar, oils, grains, baby milk, dates, and other essential family needs, while the relief bags contain Kitchen utensils, household equipment, carpets, and other living materials that contribute to meeting the needs of families.Mohammed Idris, Director of the Amdjarass Municipality, praised the UAE’s humanitarian efforts through its continuous initiatives to support Sudanese refugees and the local community in Chad.He pointed out that distributing Ramadan ration and food baskets to poor villages will greatly contribute to alleviating the suffering of needy families.Dr Salem Al Ameri, the Head of the UAE Field Hospital in Chad, said that since its establishment on July 9, 2023, the hospital has treated around 20,000 patients, including men, women, and children from Sudanese refugees and the local community, averaging 80 patients per day. The hospital has performed simple, moderate, and complex surgeries in specialities like orthopaedics, neurosurgery, and general surgery.He highlighted that the field hospital remains open during Ramadan to offer medical assistance to Sudanese individuals affected by their country’s current situation, supporting Chad and easing the humanitarian challenges caused by the influx of refugees. - https://dubainews.tv/?p=94281

01/04/2024

LIVEAl Shifa raid ends, leaving at least 200 dead - - LIVEAl Shifa raid ends, leaving at least 200 dead -

01/04/2024

Gmail at 20: Tech& #039;s best April Fool& #039;s prank yet - - Gmail at 20: Tech’s best April Fool’s prank yet -

01/04/2024

US military says it destroyed Houthi drones over the Red Sea and in Yemen - - CAIRO (news agencies) — The U.S. military said Sunday its forces destroyed one unmanned aerial vehicle in a Houthi rebel-held area of war-ravaged Yemen and another over a crucial shipping route in the Red Sea. It was the latest development in months of tension between the Iran-backed rebels and the U.S.

The drones, which were destroyed Saturday morning, posed a threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region, said the U.S. Central Command.

It said that one done was destroyed over the Red Sea, while the second was destroyed on the ground as it was prepared to launch.

“These actions are necessary to protect our forces, ensure freedom of navigation, and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels,” CENTCOM said.

There was no comment from the Houthi rebels, which control much of Yemen’s north and west.

The rebels launched a campaign of drone and missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea in November. They have also fired missiles toward Israel, although those have largely fallen short or been intercepted.

The rebels have described their campaign as an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The ships targeted by the Houthis, however, largely have had little or no connection to Israel, the U.S. or other nations involved in the war.

The Houthis have kept up their campaign of attacks despite more than two months of U.S.-led airstrikes.

Earlier this month, CENTCOM said its forces also destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. It also said Houthis fired four anti-ship ballistic missiles toward the Red Sea, but no injuries or damages were reported by U.S., coalition or commercial ships.

The escalation in the Red Sea and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza impacted the U.N.-led efforts to relaunch political talks to end Yemen’s yearslong conflict, according to the U.N. envoy for Yemen.

Hans Grundberg told the U.N. Security Council in mid-March that he had hoped to reach an agreement on a nationwide cease-fire in Yemen by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began early in March.

He warned that Yemen could be propelled back into war, saying that “the longer the escalatory environment (in the region) continues, the more challenging Yemen’s mediation space will become.”

The war between the Houthis and pro-government forces backed by a coalition of Gulf Arab states has raged since 2014, when the Houthis swept down from the mountains, seized much of northern Yemen and the country’s capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognized government to flee into exile to Saudi Arabia.

Since then, more than 150,000 people have been killed by the violence and 3 million have been displaced.

Fighting has decreased markedly in Yemen since a truce in April 2022, but there are still hotspots in the country. -

U.S. federal agencies must show that their artificial intelligence tools aren’t harming the public, or stop using them, under new rules unveiled by the White House.

01/04/2024

In Taiwan, a group is battling fake news one conversation at a time — with a focus on seniors - - TAIPEI, Taiwan (news agencies) — Their days often began at the crack of dawn.

They’d head out to a church, a temple, a park and set up a stall. They’d seek out seniors in particular, those who are perhaps the most vulnerable citizens of the information-saturated society that has enveloped them. To get people to stop and listen, they’d offer free bars of soap — a metaphor for the scrubbing that they were undertaking.

They’d talk to people, ask them about their lives and their media consumption habits. They’d ask: How has fake news hurt you? They’d teach techniques to punch through the static, to see the illogic in conspiracy theories, to find the facts behind the false narratives that can sometimes shape our lives.

Nearly six years later, with just one formal employee and a team of volunteers, Fake News Cleaner has hosted more than 500 events, connecting with college students, elementary-school children — and the seniors that, some say, are the most vulnerable to such efforts.

Its people are filling up lecture halls and becoming a key voice in an effort as pressing here as anywhere: scrubbing Taiwan of disinformation and the problems it causes, one case at a time.

Like any democratic society, Taiwan is flooded with assorted types of disinformation. It touches every aspect of a person’s life, from conspiracy theories on vaccines to health claims aimed at promoting supplements to rumors about major Taiwanese companies leaving the island.

Despite its very public nature, disinformation has a deeply personal impact — particularly among Taiwan’s older people. It thrives in the natural gaps between people that come from generational differences and a constantly updating tech landscape, then enlarges those gaps to cause rifts.

“They have no way to communicate,” says Melody Hsieh, who co-founded the group with Shu-huai Chang in 2018. “This entire society is being torn apart, and this is a terrible thing.”

Chuang Tsai-yu, sitting in on a recent lecture by the group in Taipei, once saw a message online that told people to hit their chest in a way that would save them in the case of heart discomfort. She said she actually tried it out herself.

Later, she asked her doctor about it. His advice: Go directly to the emergency room and get checked for a heart attack.

“We really do believe the things people will send us,” Chuang says. “Because when you’re older, we don’t have as much of a grasp on the outside world. Some of these scammers, they will write it in a way that’s very believable.”

Chuang is fortunate: Her son has explained some of the things she sees on her phone — including disinformation about health on the Line app. Not everyone is as lucky, though. When it comes to misinformation, there’s a lot of work to do.

Taiwan is already home to several established fact-checking organizations. There’s Co-Facts, a well known AI-driven fact-checking bot founded by a group of civic hackers. There are the Taiwan Fact Check Center and MyGoPen. But such organizations presume that you’re at least somewhat tech-savvy — that you can find a fact-check organization’s website or add a fact-checking bot.

Yet many of the people most affected are the least tech-savvy. Fake News Cleaner believes addressing this gap requires an old-school approach: going offline. At the heart of the group’s work is approaching people with patience and respect while educating them about the algorithms and norms that drive the platforms they use.

Hsieh says she was moved after seeing too many instances of division because of fake news: a couple that divorced, a mom who kicked her kid out of the house. Many such stories surfaced in 2018 when Taiwan held a national referendum on a number of social issues including on nuclear energy, s*x education, and gay marriage.

At their second-ever event, Hsieh and Chang met a victim of fake news. A vegetable seller told them he’d lost sales because people had read that the vegetable fern he planted and sold, known locally as guomao, caused cancer. Business faded, and the vendor had to sell off part of his land. For a year, even restaurants didn’t order from him.

Keep up the work, he told them — it’s needed.

At a community center hosted by Bangkah Church in Taipei’s Wanhua neighborhood, a crowd of seniors listen to 28-year old Tseng Yu-huan speak on behalf of Fake News Cleaner.

The attendees, many of whom come daily to the church’s college for seniors, are learning why fake news is so compelling. Tseng shows them some sensational headlines. One: A smoothie mix of sweet potato leaves and milk was said to be a detox drink. Another: rumors that COVID-19 was being spread from India because of dead bodies in rivers. He used mostly examples from Line, a Korean messaging app popular in Taiwan.

With just one formal employee and a team of volunteers, Fake News Cleaner has combed Taiwan’s churches, temples, small fishing villages and parks, spreading awareness. While they started with a focus on seniors, the group has also lectured at colleges and even elementary schools. Early on, to catch their target audience, Hsieh and her co-founders would get to the hiking trails near her home by 5 a.m. to set up a stall while offering free bars of soap to entice people to stop and listen. -