A year ago, a fake news story spiralled into an incendiary international standoff. In May 2017, Qatar’s official state news agency was hacked, and a story was planted, claiming Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani pushed for relations with Iran, and defended Hamas and Hezbollah. Qatar denied the story, but it did not stop Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severing diplomatic ties with Doha. That was in June.