ISIS has been using RocketChat and online services from companies such as Dropbox and Microsoft to host its propaganda, according to a monitoring group.
Videos purportedly showing bomb attacks by the terrorist group were posted on the sites.
The first, on January 24, showed the Egyptian military transporting two bulldozers, which ISIS claimed it had damaged in Sinai.
The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) think tank has been monitoring ISIS and far-right propaganda across social media sites. The report said that the video was spread more widely through a number of file-sharing sites.
“Links to the video were spread via RocketChat,” the latest CEP report said. The researchers found "at least eight websites" – File.Fm, Streamable, PixelDrain, Top4top, Dropbox, the Microsoft One Drive, the Internet Archive, and Mega.Nz – had then been used as platforms to distribute the materials.
It has also identified ISIS propaganda on podcasting platform Spreaker.
However, the specific material tracked by the CEP only appeared to remain hosted on some of the services for a limited amount of time. “Four days later, the video was only available on two websites: Top4top and the Internet Archive.”
On January 27 another video was released on RocketChat by ISIS-affiliated Amaq News, allegedly showing an attack against a vehicle near al-Hasakah in Syria.
“It was located on Streamable approximately 24 hours after it was posted to the website,” the CEP said.
ISIS is not the only extremist group to target alternative platforms, as the CEP has identified white supremacist material on Telegram.
Telegram became popular among terrorist groups following a crackdown by mainstream platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
European crime agencies have been working with Telegram to remove more inappropriate content and in the past month more than 50 pieces of far-right propaganda have been removed.
It has led some groups to post warnings to their followers.
“A white supremacist chat poster stated that Telegram was no longer safe and that Matrix, a decentralised and open-source platform, would provide greater information security and encryption,” the CEP said.
However, on Saturday a 55-minute video was posted on Telegram by Al Qaeda’s Somali affiliate Al Shabab Al Mujahideen documenting the preparations for a raid it conducted on the US military base at Camp Simba near Manda Bay, Kenya, on January 5, 2020, in which three Americans were killed and several aircraft were destroyed.
It showed a meeting between Al Shabab leader Abu Ubaydah Ahmad Omar and the attackers, as well as training and preparations for the raid, final messages from the attackers and drone footage of the raid in progress, according to The Middle East Media Research Institute.
Nations have been taking measures to tackles online extremism following fears children could be more vulnerable during global lockdowns.
In its latest report, the UN’s Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate said it had observed an increase in the online radicalisation of children and warned countries to be alert.
Countries have reduced their funding of counter-terrorism initiatives because of the pandemic, the monitoring group said, and as a result less attention was being given to dangerous individuals.
Last November, the UAE and US anti-extremism centre, the Sawab Centre, launched a campaign to combat terrorist ideologies online.
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20CarbonSifr%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202022%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Onur%20Elgun%2C%20Mustafa%20Bosca%20and%20Muhammed%20Yildirim%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Climate%20tech%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%241%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Results
3pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,000m; Winner: Dhafra, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Al Ajayib, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
4pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Ashtr, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Majed Al Jahouri
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5pm: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Al Mufham SB, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Badar Al Hajri
5.30pm: Sharjah Marathon – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,700m; Winner: Asraa Min Al Talqa, Al Moatasem Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
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- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
