All posts tagged: The Observers

AI chatbot responses polluted by pro-Russian disinformation

AI chatbot responses polluted by pro-Russian disinformation

Published by Sam Flores

Claims have been circulating on pro-Russian websites that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan tried to sell gold from the Amulsar mine to Turkish firms at a discount. It is completely false. Yet, when various artificial intelligence chatbots are asked in different languages whether the story is true, they assure users that it is. This is just one of the findings published in January by the disinformation watchdog NewsGuard, which regularly audits these tools. The US company revealed that false narratives pushed by pro-Russian actors can slip into the responses of conversational AI agents. NewsGuard focused its investigation particularly on misinformation spread by Pravda, a sprawling network of pro-Russian websites. “In March 2025, we found that in 33% of cases, major commercial chatbots – including Mistral’s chat and OpenAI’s ChatGPT – repeated these narratives as verified facts, even though they are known to be false stories that serve the Kremlin’s geopolitical interests,” said Chine Labbé, managing editor and senior vice president of partnerships for Europe and Canada at Newsguard. In January 2026, the organisation conducted a new round …

Witnesses accuse the Israeli army of arbitrary arrests in Syria

Witnesses accuse the Israeli army of arbitrary arrests in Syria

Published by Sam Flores

The place is Beit Jinn, in the countryside to the west of Damascus. It’s the night of November 28, 2025. Israeli soldiers launch a ground offensive. While bombs fall from the sky and artillery is fired at homes, clashes break out between Israeli soldiers and some villagers. A video posted online by the Israeli army shows soldiers arresting brothers Nidal Akasha Akasha and Muhammad Akasha Akasha in the fray. In a statement, the Israeli army claims that Nidal and Muhammad have ties to the Islamist group Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya. The FRANCE 24 Observers team interviewed a number of Syrians who had been arrested and then detained in an Israeli prison for months before being released. We also spoke to the families of those still detained. We also analysed rare images posted online by the Israeli army, which claims that they have been arresting “suspicious persons” or those “linked to armed groups”. Through our research, we identified three different arrest operations carried out by the Israeli army in 2025.  A total of 13 villagers died, and more …

Iran’s small businesses collapse under war, inflation and internet blackout

Iran’s small businesses collapse under war, inflation and internet blackout

Published by Sam Flores

Even before the war, Iran’s economy had been spiralling for years under international sanctions tied to the regime’s nuclear activities, alongside deep corruption and chronic mismanagement, making daily life increasingly difficult for millions. Over the past decade, Iranians have staged several large local and nationwide protests triggered by economic grievances, including in 2019 and January 2026, leaving tens of thousands of protesters dead, arrested or injured. Since April 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran and the Iranian regime shut down the internet, the economy has worsened sharply. Middle-class Iranians we spoke to said the situation was becoming unsustainable, and that they feared they may no longer be able to afford food in the coming months if the situation continues. In this message posted on X on April 28, 2026, an Iranian small business owner begs users to share her post so the business she has built for 10 years does not fail. To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices   ‘We …

Propaganda war: The Gen Z team behind Iran’s hit anti-Trump videos – The Observers

Propaganda war: The Gen Z team behind Iran’s hit anti-Trump videos – The Observers

Published by Sam Flores

Satirical Lego animations depicting US President Donald Trump as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s puppet while casting Iran as the defender of the oppressed mark the latest propaganda coup for the Iranian regime in its war with the US. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to one of the young Iranians behind the videos. From being portrayed as Benjamin Netanyahu’s puppet to being shown entangled in the Epstein affair, Donald Trump has become the star of a series of satirical Lego animations.  Posted by Iranian officials and embassies, these videos have been a worldwide hit – marking a propaganda coup for the Iranian regime in its war with the United States. The group that first created the videos calls itself Explosive Media. Our team spoke with their spokesman: “We’re a group of friends. Most of us are students – or recently graduated. We’re between 19 and 25. We listen to a wide range of music – rap, pop. We write our own rap lyrics. But when it comes to the final track – the singing voice – that part …

Street battles and withdrawal of Russian mercenaries: Inside the 48-hour fall of Mali’s Kidal

Street battles and withdrawal of Russian mercenaries: Inside the 48-hour fall of Mali’s Kidal

Published by Sam Flores

Two and a half years later, the flag of Azawad – the Tuareg name for the northern region of Mali claimed by separatists of the FLA (Azawad Liberation Front) – is once again flying over the city of Kidal. In November 2023, the Malian army seized the city alongside Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group, now rebranded as Africa Corps. On April 25, separatists raised their flag in the city’s central square, claiming to have regained control. FLA fighters pose in Kidal’s main square after seizing control of the city on April 25. Location: 18°26’48.17″N 1°24’32.56″E Source: X / Wamaps_news / Guillaumem_MRC To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices The assault began at 6am. Six Malian cities found themselves under fire. In Kidal and Gao, the offensive was led by a coalition comprising the FLA and the al Qaeda-linked Jihadist Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM). A morning of heavy fighting on the outskirts of Kidal An FLA commander told …

Press association denounces Israel’s use of altered image to depict slain journalist

Press association denounces Israel’s use of altered image to depict slain journalist

Published by Sam Flores

The Foreign Press Association (FPA), which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories, published a statement on April 15 criticising the Israeli military for attempting to discredit Lebanese journalist Ali Shoeib, who was killed in an Israeli strike, by publishing a fake image of him wearing a Hezbollah uniform.   Hezbollah is a Lebanese political party and paramilitary group with close links to Iran, which is currently at war with Israel. The group, whose military wing is classified as a terrorist organisation by the European Union, is the target of Israel’s strikes on Lebanon. This image shows the statement made by the Foreign Press Association on April 15, 2026. Source: X To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices War correspondent Ali Shoeib was killed alongside two other journalists, cameraman Mohammed Ftouni and his sister, journalist Fatima Ftouni, when an Israeli air strike hit their vehicle on March 28.  Shoeib worked for Al-Manar, a Lebanese TV channel affiliated with Hezbollah, and the …

No, Emmanuel Macron did not share a (fake) photo of Melania Trump with Jeffrey Epstein

No, Emmanuel Macron did not share a (fake) photo of Melania Trump with Jeffrey Epstein

Published by Sam Flores

In the wake of recent tensions between Trump and the Macrons, a false claim has surfaced online. Since April 6, a wave of Spanish-speaking social media posts has alleged that the French President “ridiculed” Trump by sharing an “image of his wife alongside Jeffrey Epstein”. The posts feature a purported leaked image from the Epstein files appearing to show disgraced financier Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, embracing and kissing Melania Trump. One specific post, shared on X on April 8, has already amassed nearly six million views. No publication from Macron One of the first to circulate the rumour appears to be Egyptian journalist Nabil Omran, who posted the image in question to Facebook on April 5 with the caption, “Macron avenges his dignity.” This image was shared by Egyptian journalist Nabil Omran on his Facebook account. “Macron avenges his dignity… He publishes a photo of Trump’s wife […] with her lover,” the text reads. © Nabil Omran / The Observers This is a direct reference to the controversy sparked by Donald Trump’s …

‘Trump abandoned us’: Ceasefire sparks anger, fear, division among Iranians

‘Trump abandoned us’: Ceasefire sparks anger, fear, division among Iranians

Published by Sam Flores

On February 28, a new war began after Israel and the United States launched strikes on Iran, killing several high-ranking military figures, scientists and political officials, including Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Iran launched large-scale attacks against Israel and Arab countries hosting US military bases, including Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Oman. Beyond military targets, both sides also struck civilian infrastructure, including gas and oil facilities, power stations, water treatment plants, steel and aluminium factories, roads, railways and bridges, as well as universities, airports, schools, hotels, stadiums and residential areas, particularly in Israel. Videos shared on April 7, 2026 capture strikes on Iran’s petroleum infrastructure on the islands of Lavan and Siri in the Persian Gulf, hours after a ceasefire had been announced. To display this content from Telegram, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices On April 7, however, the parties to the conflict announced a two-week ceasefire, brokered by Pakistan, intended to pave the way for broader negotiations hosted by Islamabad …

Arctic Metagaz: Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker adrift in the Mediterranean faces uncertain fate

Arctic Metagaz: Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker adrift in the Mediterranean faces uncertain fate

Published by Sam Flores

According to Libyan media reports, forces loyal to the strongman of eastern Libya Khalifa Haftar dispatched a naval patrol vessel and a team of divers to monitor the Arctic Metagaz on Monday, April 6. The Russian LNG tanker has been drifting in the Mediterranean since a Libyan towing operation failed four days earlier. This is the latest twist in a maritime saga that began on March 3 off the Libyan coast. The Arctic Metagaz caught fire following an explosion while carrying 60,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) – natural gas cooled to -160°C to facilitate transport. All crew members were rescued. Although Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the incident, Russia has accused Kyiv of targeting the tanker with naval drones launched from Libya. An investigation by RFI appears to support this claim. These images show the Arctic Metagaz on fire on March 3, 2026. Source: X/@trbrtc To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices The vessel, sanctioned by the US and the …

Bedouins in Israel’s Negev desert face bomb shelter shortage – The Observers

Bedouins in Israel’s Negev desert face bomb shelter shortage – The Observers

Published by Sam Flores

As Iranian and Hezbollah air strikes on Israel continue, tens of thousands of Bedouins living in the country’s southern Negev desert have no access to shelters. While some NGOs are attempting to install mobile shelters, they are primarily calling on the government to take action, denouncing “discriminatory planning policies”. Since the war in the Middle East began on February 28, Israelis have started using bomb shelters again, to protect themselves from missiles and rockets fired by Iran, their allies Hezbollah and, more recently, Yemen’s Houthi rebels. When the sirens go off, residents head for nearby public bomb shelters (called “miklats”) or the fortified security rooms inside their own homes (known as “mamads”, which have been mandatory in all new constructions since 1992). Video posted on March 7, 2026, on TikTok showing a bomb shelter inside an apartment building. Source: TikTok / shanainisrael To display this content from TikTok, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices But not all Israelis get the same protection.  A January 2026 report by Nagabiya – the …