The Central Intelligence Agency prides itself on being one step ahead of America’s enemies. But when it comes to social media, it has been lagging behind quite badly. Eight years after Twitter was launched, the agency has only just started tweeting. However, it does have an excuse: it first had to wrest control of the @cia handle. The name once belonged to the Cleveland Institute of Art but has reportedly been in the hands of an impersonator. The agency obtained it in the usual manner – by complaining to Twitter.
The reason the CIA is on social media is so it can “more directly engage with the public”, and its first official tweet, on Friday, demonstrated that spies do have a sense of humour. It read: “We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet.”
This news raises the tantalising prospect of getting a Twitter message announcing “the CIA is following you”. Sadly, at the time of writing, despite attracting more than 350,000 followers in 24 hours, the CIA is only following 25 other Twitter users, mostly US government agencies such as the FBI, Nasa and the Department of Homeland Security.
Of course, it would be paranoid to suggest that just because they’re not “following” you doesn’t mean they’re not following you.
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Company%20Profile
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India squads
Test squad against Afghanistan: Rahane (c), Dhawan, Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Karun, Saha, Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Umesh, Shami, Pandya, Ishant, Thakur.
T20 squad against Ireland and England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Raina, Pandey, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh.
ODI squad against England: Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rohit, Rahul, Shreyas, Rayudu, Dhoni, Karthik, Chahal, Kuldeep, Sundar, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Pandya, Kaul, Umesh
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.