Latest news with #Israel-Hamas
DW
3 hours ago
- Health
- DW
AI in the Middle East: Fact-checkers fight fire with fire
Conflicts, crisis and information vacuums in the Middle East mean AI-generated disinformation is overflowing. But fact-checkers are turning Arabic-language AI into weapons on their mission to counter disinformation. In 2014, the news about a miracle herb from Lebanon that could treat skin cancer was spread on social media. If rubbed on the skin, the herb promised to immediately cure all symptoms. It was that promise which made Moath Althaher's cousin stop her chemotherapy treatment for skin cancer. She passed away just a few months later. For medical student Moah Althaher, this was the moment he decided that he needed to do something to fight health-related disinformation. He had just witnessed the power of such misinformation to cause severe damage firsthand. The idea for the fact-checking platform Fatabyyano was born, initially with a focus on health-related disinformation. A real risk to social cohesion and regional stability Misleading health claims are only a drop in the ocean in the vast disinformation landscape in the Middle East. The nature and content of disinformation in the MENA region vary significantly, depending on the specific country context. Ongoing political conflicts and instabilities such as the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war or the recent fall of the Assad regime in Syria are the main drivers for the spread of toxic content, increasingly created by AI tools. After witnessing the impact of health misinformation firsthand, Moath Althaher launched the fact-checking platform Fatabyyano Image: Yuan-Bin Zhao Walid Al-Saqaf, a professor of journalism and AI at the Doha Institute, explains: "The MENA region's fragmented and government-controlled media, as well as its limited digital literacy, heighten vulnerability to AI-driven disinformation. AI has substantially accelerated the proliferation of disinformation in the MENA region, thereby posing serious risks to societal cohesion and regional stability." Al-Saqaf also says that the development of AI technologies has exacerbated the spread of disinformation as more sophisticated deepfakes and AI-generated images and audio can be created with the help of easily available and cheap AI tools. Next level disinformation A single piece of disinformation spread in Arabic could potentially reach an audience of more than 400 million Arabic speakers. Fatabyyano founder Moath Althaher has noticed a change in both the character and quality of disinformation that has been spread over the years. While in the early days of Fatabyyano, disinformation was often created with a silly or entertaining undertone which made it easy to detect, it now looks different. "Disinformation has gained a more serious tone and has become more sophisticated due to the development of AI tools," says Althaher. "Disinformation is now on another level and can even appear as deepfakes, using the voice or image of public figures." A piece of disinformation that was fact-checked by the Fatabyyano team was a Facebook reel that appeared to show Ahmad Fakhouri, host of the BBC show "Trending," presenting a herbal spray that could help people quit smoking. While the host elaborates on the health benefits of the spray, instructions on how to buy it are provided right below the deepfake video. Fact-checking such a video now requires a multilayered approach: It needs to be checked for its claim, as well as the voice and images used. Fatabyyano debunked a deepfake of BBC host Ahmad Fakhouri promoting a fake anti-smoking spray, showcasing the complexity of modern fact-checking Image: Fatabyyano There has also been a shift in the motivation behind the spreading of disinformation. When Moath first started his fact-checking work, fake news were often being spread for entertainment or communication purposes. Now the main motivation is to deceive in order to generate profit - as the immediate buying instructions in the case of the herbal spray video demonstrates: It sells at 25 Euro for a pack of four. Moath Althaher is part of a vibrant community of fact-checkers in the Middle East who are trying to keep up with the huge amounts of false and misleading information. AI tools seem like potential allies in an impossible task, however they come with their own set of challenges. "The data that Arabic language models are trained on is of low quality in comparison to English language models, both in terms of quality and quantity," Althaher explains. "This leads to limited performance." The complexity of Arabic, with its many dialects and writing styles, makes AI training and language processing especially challenging Image: Floris Van den Abbeele/DW The complexity of the Arabic language further complicates the situation. With dozens of regional dialects, the creation and processing of datasets become increasingly difficult. Abed Khooli, an AI researcher based in Ramallah, explains: "Arabic also uses different accents that can alter the meaning of words, varying writing styles, and numerous regional and country dialects, in addition to Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which complicates processing." Digging deeper: Understanding the underlying narratives The Fatabyyano team is currently developing the tool, which is an AI-powered instrument designed for real-time fact-checking and trend analysis in Arabic. This tool aims to keep pace with the immense amount of high-quality, AI-generated disinformation. goes beyond simple fact-checking: It helps to uncover and understand the underlying disinformation narratives, which is especially helpful in the health sector. To overcome the impediment of low-quality data, the model has been trained on a decade's worth of fact-checking done by the Fatabyyano team, which presents a significant qualitative and quantitative dataset. The tool can respond to any requests by users based on this curated data, as well as draw on other trusted and specified sources. Furthermore, the team utilizes advanced AI tools across multiple trusted platforms to build a larger database. "A piece of misinformation is always the symptom of a narrative. If you understand the narrative, you can tackle the problem at its root," explains Althaher. Palestinian Territories: Fact-checking in times of war Narratives play an important role in the ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis and shape the public discourse. "Decades of tension and violence between Palestinians and Israelis have led to an environment where misinformation and disinformation has flourished," explains Elliot Higgins from Bellingcat in a BBC podcast . People are generally less likely to question information that confirms their views. Following the October 7th terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas, the level of disinformation was at an unprecedented scale. Journalists in Gaza work under extreme conditions, verifying information despite displacement and limited access to internet and electricity Image: Hamed Sbeata/Middle East Images/picture alliance Fact-checkers from the Palestinian Territories do not only work in an environment fertile for disinformation, they also operate out of a war zone. Riham Abu Aita, based in Ramallah, founded the fact-checking organisation Kashif in 2019. The majority of fact-checking requests that the Kashif team currently receives are related to the situation in Gaza. One of Kashif's team members, Ahmad, is based in Gaza and is facing tough circumstances on the ground. He has been displaced more than three times and is currently with his family in Khan Younis. Access to connectivity or information are limited and Ahmad often relies on a wide network of people he knows on the ground and calls them to verify any information for fact-checks or reaches out to journalists or medical staff. Some of the fact-checking requests that the Kashif team receives are related to a term coined "Pallywood," which refers to a disinformation campaign that accuses Palestinians of faking suffering and civilian deaths in their conflict with Israel. One particularly disturbing aspect of these claims involves accusations that images of deceased children are staged and show dolls rather than children. In such cases, the Kashif team relies on their network to contact the children's families for testimonies or photos of the children — in order to prove that the accusations of staging are false. "We were not able to respond to all those requests because we are a small team, that's why we decided to integrate a chatbot into our website," explains Riham Abu Aita. The "Kashif bot" responds to requests by users to fact-check specific information or answer questions. It functions as an interactive bot that is trained by the Kashif team and provides the users with verified and trusted information only. The bot makes sure that the users receive answers quickly, as the requests do not have to be responded to by individual team members. The Kashif bot also helps the team understand which topics are of interest to the users of Kashif. Riham Abu Aita co-founded Kashif, a Palestinian platform promoting media literacy and fighting misinformation through fact-checking and ethical journalism Image: DW Akademie "The process of building the chatbot was much more complicated than expected," recalls Riham Abu Aita. "It took us more than six months to make sure that the chatbot was treating our content properly. It was difficult to even find a chatbot provider, as most providers do not focus on Arabic language." So far, the performance of the chatbot has been satisfying; People are using it frequently and the team is continuing to train it. However, Abu Aita acknowledges that her team's fact-checking capabilities are constrained by the environment in which they operate. "Sometimes the public asks us for fact-checks that would need security or military information," she explains. "But we do not have access to such information." Lebanon: Battling disinformation on social media Another hotspot where false and misleading information circulates is in Lebanon. There, disinformation is mostly shared and spread among friends or family members on WhatsApp groups, with content and interactions peaking during times of crisis or events. To fight fire with fire, the fact-checking platform Sawab was initially founded as a WhatsApp group in 2022. During the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and Syria, disinformation spiked, and it became difficult for people to navigate, which brought the number of users in the Sawab WhatsApp group from a few hundred up to 2000 within only four or five months. During the earthquake, the number of AI-generated images circulating on WhatsApp was striking, such as the image of a dog sitting on top of the rubble under which a child's hand protrudes. Such images were likely spread to evoke sympathy or to gain traction or views. Due to the high demand for fact-checks, the Sawab team soon explored other social media channels and started their website in 2024. Just one of many images the Sawab team has identified as fake Image: Sawab Sawab has recently welcomed a special new member to its team of 14 part-time members: a virtual AI bot named VERIFAI that supports the team around the clock. The Sawab team was recently put to the test in the light of the high influx of disinformation emerging during the war in Gaza and the military escalation between Israel and Lebanon. The team members who commit to Sawab alongside full-time jobs or study commitments were simply not able to keep up with the amount of content. The VERIFAI Sawab bot now supports them on their mission of verifying news and combating hate speech. The VERIFAI bot assists the team in research, information gathering or specific editorial tasks while the team makes sure that the bot is given very precise instructions or reliable sources to use. However, the bot's contribution so far remains limited. "Until now, our virtual team member is not a fact-checker," explains Sawab's 22-year-old co-founder Youssef Al-Amin, a student at Doha Institute. "It is difficult to teach him (VERIFAI) how to use reliable sources. He still needs time to learn." The AI bot has been trained in Sawab's editorial style and platform-related specificities to be able to support its human team members in the best possible way. The bot was able to render some of the workflows more time efficient, which has helped other team members to free up and dedicate more of their time to fact-checking tasks. Youssef Al Amin, a Lebanese journalist and co-founder of Sawab, brings his fact-checking expertise to the stage at a DW Akademie conference in Tunis Image: DW Akademie The Sawab team has noticed that the bot still has significant limitations in its performance in Arabic language or its application in the Arabic context. "We still mostly use English prompts, as there are more mistakes made in Arabic. We also noticed that there is a lack of understanding on local realities on the ground, especially when the task concerns smaller communities or villages in Lebanon," recalls Al-Amin. One major caveat is that the bot would never admit to its own limitations or knowledge gaps, but would rather provide made-up answers, but with a strong degree of confidence. AI tools to detect misinformation such as AI generated images, also lag behind their English-language counterparts. "They are still bad at detecting AI-generated images. Every time the tools used to generate AI content improve, the more difficult our mission becomes, as the gap widens," explains Al-Amin. Election periods make it harder for users to spot disinformation online Image: Vahid Salemi/AP/picture alliance With municipal elections taking place in Lebanon in 2025 and parliamentary elections in 2026, the Sawab team anticipates a high rise in disinformation, as well as its spread by chatbots and on coordinated accounts, and has already started to prepare for what is yet to come. Fact-checkers from the Middle East operate in very specific country contexts, but there is one thing that unites them all: Giving up is not an option. They all do their best to respond to each request and deliver any fact-check demanded. Despite all the hardships and difficulties they face, they continue to do their work and follow ambitious aims. "We do whatever we can. We hope that the bot could help to reduce hate speech, incitement as well as gender-based disinformation," says Riham from Kashif. The Middle Eastern fact-checkers try to make the region a better and safer place through verified information: One step at a time — and now assisted by machine effort through their narrative detection tool, chatbots or even virtual team members. Jenna Kleinwort is a project manager in the Middle East and North Africa Department at DW Akademie and a member of the DW Akademie's Community of Practice on Artificial Intelligence. She holds an MSc in Economics of the Middle East from Marburg University. She wrote her thesis on Female Entrepreneurs in the United Arab Emirates, where she also worked as a reporter. Fluent in Arabic, Jenna has spent over seven years in North Africa and the Gulf region. She is also a 2023 Rosalynn Carter Fellow for Mental Health Journalism.
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Greta Thunberg, once unpopular on Chinese social media, rises in esteem on Gaza
Greta Thunberg, the Swedish environmental activist once widely criticised on Chinese social media, appears to be receiving a rare wave of support in the country, particularly after her bid to call attention to the Israel-Hamas conflict was stopped by Israeli forces who ended her attempt to sail to Gaza. The 22-year-old activist, along with 11 others, set sail this month for Gaza hoping to 'break Israel's siege' of the Palestinian territory in a show of solidarity. The boat, carrying aid, was soon intercepted by Israeli forces and taken to Israel, where she was deported back to Europe.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
a day ago
- Business
- First Post
Is Trump losing political battle at home? His job rating just 38%, says public survey
President Donald Trump's approval rating has dipped, with only 38% of voters approving of the way he is handling his job, while 54% disapprove, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday read more President Donald Trump's approval rating has dipped, with only 38% of voters approving of the way he is handling his job, while 54% disapprove, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday. The figures reflect a slight decline from the university's April 9 poll, when 41% approved and 53% disapproved of his performance. The survey also asked voters to evaluate Trump's handling of seven key issues. Across the board, more voters expressed disapproval than approval: STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Immigration: 43% approve, 54% disapprove Deportations: 40% approve, 56% disapprove The Economy: 40% approve, 56% disapprove Trade: 38% approve, 57% disapprove Universities: 37% approve, 54% disapprove Israel-Hamas Conflict: 35% approve, 52% disapprove Russia-Ukraine War: 34% approve, 57% disapprove 'As the Russia - Ukraine war grinds through its third year, Americans make it clear they have little appetite for the way the Trump administration is handling the situation,' said Quinnipiac polling analyst Tim Malloy. The poll also measured public opinion of Trump more broadly. Forty per cent of voters hold a favourable view of the president, while 53% view him unfavourably. Four per cent said they haven't heard enough about him to form an opinion. Support among Republicans remains strong, with 88% expressing a favourable opinion of Trump, similar to Quinnipiac's March 13 poll. According to other recent national polls too, Trump continues to face more disapproval than approval from voters. An Economist/YouGov survey conducted June 13–16 found that 54% of voters disapprove of Trump's job performance, while 41% approve. The poll, which surveyed 1,512 US adults, carries a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points. Trump also remains underwater on foreign policy, particularly regarding Iran. Just 37% of respondents approve of his handling of the Iran issue, while 41% disapprove. Notably, 60% of those surveyed, including 53% of voters who supported Trump in 2024, oppose US involvement in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, despite Trump's repeated threats of military intervention. Meanwhile, Trump saw a slight improvement in his net approval in the latest Pew Research Center survey, conducted June 2–8. In the poll, 41% of respondents approved of his performance, while 58% disapproved, marking a two-point gain compared to Pew's April survey. The poll surveyed 5,044 US adults with a margin of error of 1.6 percentage points. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
Nahar Net
a day ago
- Health
- Nahar Net
18 killed by Israeli fire near Gaza aid distribution site
Gaza's civil defense agency said that Israeli forces on Thursday killed at least 18 people, including 15 who had gathered near an aid distribution site in central Gaza. Civil defence official Mohammad al-Mugghayyir told AFP that "18 people have been killed due to ongoing Israeli shelling on the Gaza Strip since dawn today, 15 of whom were waiting for aid", adding that the remaining three were killed by shelling near Gaza City. - 69 dead in past 24 hours - The Gaza Health Ministry said Thursday that hospitals had received 69 bodies and 221 wounded people in the last 24 hours. It said 55,706 Palestinians have been killed and another 130,101 wounded since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, without saying how many were civilians or combatants. The war began with Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel, when Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. They still hold 53 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead.
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Gulf nations lead urgent diplomatic push to prevent wider conflict
TDT | agencies As tensions escalate between Iran and Israel, Gulf nations are stepping up as voices of reason and diplomacy, launching high-level initiatives to contain the violence and avert a wider regional war. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan have held direct talks with Iran's newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian, signalling the Gulf's proactive role in seeking a peaceful resolution. The Emirati president also discussed the situation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who expressed support for mediation efforts. Underscoring the UAE's commitment, Foreign Minister S h e i k h Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan confirmed that the president has been 'conducting intensive diplomatic calls' aimed at de-escalating the conflict and preventing its spillover. In a firm yet balanced message, Sheikh Abdullah urged all parties to avoid 'reckless and miscalculated actions,' warning of broader consequences if tensions go unchecked. Oman, a longstanding regional mediator, has also activated its diplomatic channels, while Qatar continues to engage key international stakeholders. Doha, known for its mediation in the Israel-Hamas conflict and previous negotiations with Tehran, is in regular contact with the United States to support de-escalation. Prominent Gulf leaders have voiced their concern about the potential fallout of a prolonged war. Former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani stressed that regional stability is vital, warning that the Gulf would be among the first affected by any collapse in Iran. A B-2 Stealth Bomber pulls up on the runway after landing at the Palmdale Aircraft Integration Center of Excellence in Palmdale, California on July 17, 2014, where the US Air Force and manufacturer of the B-2, Northrop Grumman, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the B-2 Stealth Bomber's first flight.
