DINNER PARTY INTEL: Russia puts political spin on Pokémon Go
1. Reaping the harvest Zimbabwe has banned fruit and vegetable imports to save scarce foreign currency in the face of a worsening economic crisis. Foreign currency "wasted" on carrots and grapes will now be directed to buy fertilisers and pesticides, government has said. It expects local producers to meet the shortfall — but Zimbabwe has relied heavily on imports since it introduced ill-executed land reform policies at the turn of the century. One Russian-linked campaign posing as part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement used Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr and Pokémon Go, and even contacted reporters in an effort to exploit racial tensions, the broadcaster says. The campaign reveals how Russian agents created an online ecosystem through which divisive political messages were reinforced across multiple platforms.
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