Latest news with #Thai-language
AFP
2 days ago
- Politics
- AFP
Video shows fire at Iran oil depot after Israeli strike, not blaze at Haifa refinery
"This video confirms Iran's attack on Israel's largest energy facility in the city of Haifa," reads part of a Thai-language X post shared on June 16, 2025. "This refinery is the strategic energy heart of Israel, producing nine million tonnes of fuel per year. Iran's attack will impact energy supplies for both the Israeli military and civilians." The attached 22-second video shows a fire burning at a compound as thick black smoke billows into the night sky. An urban area is visible in the background. Image Screenshot of the false X post, captured on June 18, 2025 The same footage was shared in similar Thai posts on Facebook and TikTok. The posts emerged after Tehran responded to Israeli strikes on its nuclear and military facilities on June 13 with a barrage of missiles and drones (archived here and here). The arch foes have continued to trade fire in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East. The Israeli prime minister's office said on June 16 that at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds wounded since Iran's retaliatory strikes began. Iran said a day earlier that the Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. While Israeli officials confirmed an oil refinery in the coastal city of Haifa was struck by an Iranian missile on June 15, the video in fact shows an Iranian oil depot following an Israeli strike (archived here and here). Shahran oil depot A reverse image search using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the same clip posted by an Iranian user on X on June 15 (archived link). Its Persian-language caption indicates it shows the Shahran oil depot. also appears in a YouTube video published by Forbes, titled: "RAW VIDEO: Shahran Oil Depot In Tehran, Iran, Is Hit By Israeli Strikes" (archived link). The video is credited to a contributor via Getty Images (archived link). Its on the Getty Images website reads in part: "Fire and smoke rise into the sky after an Israeli attack on the Shahran oil depot on June 15, 2025 in Tehran, Iran." Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and the Getty Images distributed video (right) Iran's oil ministry said two depots -- including Shahran -- had been struck (archived link). An AFP journalist saw a depot at Shahran on fire, and an AFP video shows the blaze (archived link). Elements of the falsely shared video -- including the large fuel tanks, hilly terrain and nearby urban area -- also match Google Maps imagery of the Shahran depot (archived link). Image Screenshot of Google Maps imagery of the Shahran oil depot in northwest Tehran AFP has debunked several other false claims related to the Iran-Israel conflict.
AFP
3 days ago
- Politics
- AFP
Posts misrepresent Thailand air force chief's remarks as Cambodia border row rumbles on
The video of Air Force Chief Punpakdee Pattanakul answering questions from reporters was viewed at least 1.7 million times after it was posted on TikTok on June 9, 2025. Thai-language text superimposed on the clip reads: "If Cambodia doesn't back off, Thailand will completely seize the country. The air force says Phnom Penh could be reduced to rubble within 5 minutes." It circulated as Thailand and Cambodia faced off over a border dispute that led to an exchange of fire on May 28 in which one Cambodia solder was killed (archived link). Both the Thai and Cambodian armies said they had acted in self-defence. While Thailand and Cambodia agreed to reposition their troops in the area to reduce confrontations, Phnom Penh has asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help resolve the border dispute (archived here and here). Cambodia banned the import of Thai fruit and vegetables on June 17 after Bangkok refused to lift recently imposed border crossing restrictions. It had earlier banned Thai dramas from TV and cinemas, closed a popular border checkpoint, and cut internet bandwidth from across the border. Image Screenshot of the false TikTok post, captured on June 16, 2025 The same video was shared elsewhere in similar posts on TikTok, while a still from the clip was shared on Facebook. "They are the heroes. Please don't disappoint us. ," read a comment on one of the posts. : "This is true, Cambodia has no chance against the advanced weaponry Thailand has." But the Thai air force chief did not say they could reduce Phnom Penh "to rubble within five minutes". Warplane purchase briefing A logo for a subsequent search of the local broadcaster's channel found the same footage published on June 4 (archived here and here). The video, titled "Air force stands ready to safeguard Thai sovereignty", shows Pattanakul speaking to the media about plans to buy four Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets in a US$500 million deal (archived link). The plan is the first phase of a 10-year plan to buy 12 fighter aircraft as Thailand updates its air power. Punpakdee was asked about an unspecified "border situation", but did not mention Cambodia or say the Thai air force could reduce its capital to rubble. At the video's 3:14 mark, : "The air force is ready at all times. If an aircraft is likely to invade our airspace, we will be able to intercept within five minutes." Amarin TV also published the footage on their TikTok account on the same day. The clip is cropped in the same way it is in the false posts (archived link). Image Screenshor comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and Amarin TV's video (right) Thailand's Anti-Fake News Center also addressed the false claims on June 14, Punpakdee had been and strengthening national defence (archived link). "The commander of the Royal Thai Air Force said in an interview that the Royal Thai Air Force is ready at all times. But it does not aim to attack the neighbouring country. It is to protect the country if danger occurs," it said. AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
AI-generated videos of 'destruction in Tel Aviv' falsely linked to Israel-Iran conflict
"This is not AI, this is the real Tel Aviv airport," reads the Thai-language caption of a video purportedly showing a heavily damaged airport shared on Facebook on June 15, 2025. It goes on to say users can verify the clip's authenticity using AI chatbots such as Grok -- a technique that has proven unreliable (archived link). Arabic-language text in the video's top-right corner says, "Tel Aviv". A similar video, purportedly showing damaged and crumbling buildings, shared on Instagram by a Pakistan-based user on June 14 is captioned: "A glimpse of Tel Aviv, the Zionist war-mongers' capital." The posts emerged after Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military facilities with a barrage of missiles on June 13, killing several top officials and prompting a counter-attack by Iran (archived here and here). Israel said the attacks aimed to prevent its arch-rival from acquiring atomic weapons -- a charge Tehran denies. The longtime foes have continued trading deadly fire in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East (archived link). Iran's health ministry said at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded, while Israel's prime minister's office says at least 24 people have been killed and 592 others injured. The videos purportedly showing the damage inflicted on Israel were also shared in similar posts on Facebook, Instagram and X. While barrages of missiles and drones from Iran have hit Israeli cities and towns, the circulating videos do not depict the damage caused by the strikes. A reverse image search using keyframes from the falsely shared videos led to the same clips posted on a TikTok account that produces AI-generated content (archived link). The user did not respond to AFP's enquiries about the videos. The clip misrepresented as showing "Tel Aviv airport" was posted by the account on May 27 -- before Israel launched its surprise aerial campaign (archived link). While Israel has closed its airspace, keyword searches found no official reports of its main international airport being badly damaged by the fighting (archived link). A comparison of the falsely circulating video with Google Maps imagery of the airport near Tel Aviv also shows their layouts and surrounding landscapes do not match (archived link). The video purportedly showing the damage caused to buildings in Tel Aviv was shared by the same TikTok account on June 14, with the hashtag "South Lebanon" (archived link). A closer analysis of the video also shows that some of the vehicles driving around the damaged buildings and rubble appear to phase in and pass through one another. Although generative AI technology is improving rapidly, visual inconsistencies persist and are the best way to identify fabricated content. AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Israel-Iran conflict here.
AFP
4 days ago
- Politics
- AFP
AI-generated videos of 'destruction in Tel Aviv' falsely linked to Israel-Iran conflict
"This is not AI, this is the real Tel Aviv airport," reads the Thai-language caption of a video purportedly showing a heavily damaged airport shared on Facebook on June 15, 2025. It goes on to say users can verify the clip's authenticity using AI chatbots such as Grok -- a technique that has proven unreliable (archived link). Arabic-language text in the video's top-right corner says, "Tel Aviv". A similar video, purportedly showing damaged and crumbling buildings, shared on Instagram by a Pakistan-based user on June 14 is captioned: "A glimpse of Tel Aviv, the Zionist war-mongers' capital." Image Screenshots of the false Facebook post (left) and the false Instagram post (right), captured on June 16, 2025 The posts emerged after Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military facilities with a barrage of missiles on June 13, killing several top officials and prompting a counter-attack by Iran (archived here and here). Israel said the attacks aimed to prevent its arch-rival from acquiring atomic weapons -- a charge Tehran denies. The longtime foes have continued trading deadly fire in their most intense confrontation in history, fuelling fears of a drawn-out conflict that could engulf the Middle East (archived link). Iran's health ministry said at least 224 people have been killed and more than 1,200 wounded, while Israel's prime minister's office says at least 24 people have been killed and 592 others injured. The the damage inflicted on Israel were also shared in similar posts on Facebook, Instagram and X. While barrages of missiles and drones from Iran have hit Israeli cities and towns, the circulating videos do not depict the damage caused by the strikes. AI-generated content A reverse image search using keyframes from the falsely shared videos led to the same clips posted on a TikTok account that produces AI-generated content (archived link). The user did not respond to AFP's enquiries about the videos. The clip misrepresented as showing "Tel Aviv airport" was posted by the account on May 27 -- before Israel launched its surprise aerial campaign (archived link). While Israel has closed its airspace, keyword searches found no official reports of its main international airport being badly damaged by the fighting (archived link). A comparison of the falsely circulating video with of the airport near Tel Aviv also shows their layouts and surrounding landscapes do not match (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison between the falsely shared video (left and centre) and Google Maps imagery of Ben Gurion International Airport (right) The video purportedly showing the damage caused to buildings in Tel Aviv was shared by the same TikTok account on June 14, with the hashtag "South Lebanon" (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and the TikTok video (right) A closer analysis of the video also shows that some of the vehicles driving around the damaged buildings and rubble appear to phase in and pass through one another. Image Screenshots showing examples in the falsely shared video of vehicles appearing to pass through others Although generative AI technology is improving rapidly, visual inconsistencies persist and are the best way to identify fabricated content. AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Israel-Iran conflict here.
AFP
5 days ago
- Politics
- AFP
Thai users misrepresent old video as 'demonstration against Cambodian leader'
"Cambodian protesters demand the return of the monarchy and ousting of its current leader," reads a Thai-language TikTok post published on June 10, 2025. The attached video -- which amassed at least two million views -- shows a large procession of people waving Cambodia's national flag. It was shared after Thailand and Cambodia agreed to reposition their troops in a disputed border area where a Cambodian soldier had been killed in a military clash on May 28 (archived here and here). Parts of the video's suggest that the rally could be what "forced Cambodian soldiers to pull back" from the contested area known as the Emerald Triangle, where the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet. Image Screenshot of the false TikTok post, captured on June 12, 2025 Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet said on June 15 that Cambodia had asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to help find a resolution to the long-running border dispute (archived link). Thailand has tightened border controls, while Cambodia ordered troops to stay on "full alert" and banned Thai dramas from TV and cinemas (archived link). Similar posts claiming the circulating video showed Cambodian protesters calling for Hun Manet's ouster were shared elsewhere on Facebook, X and YouTube. But, as of June 16, there have been no official reports of protests calling on Hun Manet to step down in Cambodia. A reverse image search using keyframes of the falsely shared video found the same footage was posted on Facebook on August 13, 2024. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and the video from August 2024 (right) AFP geolocated the clip to a garment factory in Phnom Penh (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and a Google Maps photo of the same location (right), with corresponding elements highlighted by AFP Subsequent keyword searches led to a similar Facebook video that appears to show the same procession passing through the Phnom Penh factory, which was posted on August 18, 2024 (archived link). Khmer-language text on a banner held up by the crowd, visible in this Facebook video, reads, "Congratulations (to the) Funan Techo Canal". Image Screenshot of the Facebook video, with highlights added by AFP The Funan Techo Canal is a controversial US$1.7 billion project that aims to provide a new link from the Mekong River to the sea (archived link). Local media reported that the Cambodian government had announced a one-day national holiday to be held on August 5, 2024 to mark the official inauguration of the canal (archived link). Several organisations held events to , which has drawn criticism over its funding and potential environmental impact (archived here and here). Image Map showing the projected route of the Funan Techo canal in southern Cambodia. (AFP / John SAEKI) AFP has fact-checked other misinformation related to the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute.
