Latest news with #IslamicState
eNCA
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- eNCA
Fake AI videos of R. Kelly, pope spread cult of Burkina junta chief
If you believe the viral videos online, R. Kelly and Pope Leo XIV agree on one thing that Burkina Faso's junta chief, Captain Ibrahim Traore, is a fantastic leader. The images are AI-generated propaganda, part of what experts have called a vast disinformation campaign spreading the "personality cult" of the west African country's strongman. Beyonce and Justin Bieber are among the other celebrities to have their faces and voices altered through artificial intelligence to shower praise on Traore. In one video, attributed to disgraced R&B star R. Kelly, the lyrics praise Traore, who seized power in a 2022 coup: "for the love of his people, he risked it all... bullets fly but he don't fall... he's fighting for peace in his motherland." Kelly is serving a 30-year-prison sentence in the United States for crimes including the sex trafficking of minors, yet the song generated by artificial intelligence has been viewed more than two million times since it came out in May. The images have been widely shared on west African social media. It follows a wave of coups not only in Burkina Faso but also in Mali, Niger and Guinea, while the region is further destabilised by jihadist attacks. "These are influence and disinformation campaigns aimed at extending the personality cult surrounding Captain Traore to Burkina Faso's English-speaking neighbours," said an American researcher who spoke on condition of anonymity. - Restoring control - After seizing power in a coup in September 2022, Traore pledged to quickly restore control in Burkina Faso, which has been plagued by violence from jihadists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Three years later, jihadist attacks have continued, causing thousands more deaths, and have even intensified in recent months. Several officers accused of attempting to stage a coup have been arrested and comments attributed to then head of US Africa Command General Michael Langley, accusing Traore of using the country's gold reserves for personal protection, sparked anger and protests. Around that time, a series of videos exalting Traore started mushrooming on social media. "Information manipulation has become a lever for retaining power and legitimising the junta's presence," said a Burkinabe specialist in strategic communication, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. - 'Digital army' - Viral campaigns mixing propaganda and AI-generated content have been shared by activists and English-speaking influencers, notably to denounce Langley and glorify Traore. AFP | Lisa O'CONNOR While some are riding the wave for their own financial gain, others are working for the junta's cyber propaganda entity called Rapid Communication Intervention Battalions (BIR-C), the Burkinabe source said. "They truly operate like a digital army," the source said, adding it was led by US-based activist Ibrahima Maiga, ruling out any "direct links with foreign Russian influence." But the group's anti-imperialist narrative, "presenting Captain Traore as the one who will save Burkina and Africa from Western neocolonialism... suits Russia, which amplifies it in turn," the source said. - Russian connections - But the American researcher noted "some reports have established Russian connections in the recent surge of these disinformation operations", particularly in campaigns targeting Ghana and Nigeria. "Destabilising the Nigerian government would have significant regional effects," he warned. Nigerian journalist Philip Obaji, who specialises in Russian influence operations, agreed, adding that "media in Burkina and Togo have accepted money from agents linked to Russia to relay these campaigns". Meanwhile, Burkina's junta has expelled international press that had been working in the country, while local outlets self-censor in fear of arrest and deployment to the front lines against jihadists -- already a fate for some journalists. While the Burkinabe diaspora has attempted to fight back against the pro-junta narrative, including promoting jihadists' attack claims, commenting on or sharing posts is considered glorifying terrorism, punishable by one to five years imprisonment.
Kuwait Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Iraq PM reopens airport in Mosul
MOSUL: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani is recieved by officials during the reopening of Mosul International Airport on July 16, 2025. - AFP MOSUL: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani inaugurated Wednesday the city of Mosul's newly restored airport, years after it was destroyed in the battle to dislodge the Islamic State group. Sudani's flight landed at the airport, which is expected to become fully operational for domestic and international flights in two months. 'The airport will serve as an additional link between Mosul and other Iraqi cities and regional destinations,' the media office of the PM said in a statement. In June 2014, the Islamic State group seized Mosul, declaring its 'caliphate' from the city after capturing large swathes of Iraq and neighboring Syria. After years of fierce battles, Iraqi forces backed by a US-led international coalition dislodged the group from the city in July 2017, before declaring its defeat across the country at the end of that year. The airport, which was heavily damaged in the battle, has not been operational since the jihadists seized Mosul. In Aug 2022, then-prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi laid the foundation stone for the airport's reconstruction. Airport director Amar Al-Bayati told AFP that the 'airport is now ready for domestic and international flights,' but no date has been announced for their resumption. He added that the airport previously offered international flights, mostly to Turkey and Jordan. The airport now includes a main terminal, a VIP lounge and an advanced radar surveillance system, Sudani's office said. Its expected to handle 630,000 passengers annually. — AFP
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Telegraph style book: Ii
I Iannucci, Armando ICBM: Intercontinental ballistic missile. Always be precise in describing the nature of particular missiles. Long-range and similar terms are not enough ice cream Ideal Home show: Not Homes ideologue imply: the speaker suggests; Infer = the listener deduces. 'She implied that I was wrong; I inferred that she disapproved' Immaculate Conception: Requires caps, and must only be used in the accurate context: to describe the belief that the Virgin Mary was from her conception without taint of sin impostor impresario indexes: Not indices (except in mathematics or science). industrial action: Prefer strike, overtime ban, work-to-rule. If such precision is impossible, use disruptive action or protest action. indyref2: Lower case, no spaces inflation: Remember when inflation falls, prices are still going up ingrained: Not engrained initials: JD Smith. No need to use full stops inquire: Not enquire insofar as instill institute/institution: Always check which word is used in the title of an organisation with which you are not familiar interaction of: Not between intifada -ise, -isation: Not -ize, -ization iPhone, iTunes etc IRA: No need to spell 'Irish Republican Army'. The Real IRA and the Continuity IRA can be described as dissident groups Islamic State: Then IS. Not Isis, ISIS or Isil Islamophobia
Int'l Business Times
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Fake AI Videos Of R. Kelly, Pope Spread Cult Of Burkina Junta Chief
If you believe the viral videos online, R. Kelly and Pope Leo XIV agree on one thing -- that Burkina Faso's junta chief, Captain Ibrahim Traore, is a fantastic leader. The images are AI-generated propaganda, part of what experts have called a vast disinformation campaign spreading the "personality cult" of the west African country's strongman. Beyonce and Justin Bieber are among the other celebrities to have their faces and voices altered through artificial intelligence to shower praise on Traore. In one video, attributed to disgraced R&B star R. Kelly, the lyrics praise Traore, who seized power in a 2022 coup: "for the love of his people, he risked it all... bullets fly but he don't fall... he's fighting for peace in his motherland." Kelly is serving a 30-year-prison sentence in the United States for crimes including the sex trafficking of minors, yet the song generated by artificial intelligence has been viewed more than two million times since it came out in May. The images have been widely shared on west African social media. It follows a wave of coups not only in Burkina Faso but also in Mali, Niger and Guinea, while the region is further destabilised by jihadist attacks. "These are influence and disinformation campaigns aimed at extending the personality cult surrounding Captain Traore to Burkina Faso's English-speaking neighbours," said an American researcher who spoke on condition of anonymity. After seizing power in a coup in September 2022, Traore pledged to quickly restore control in Burkina Faso, which has been plagued by violence from jihadists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Three years later, jihadist attacks have continued, causing thousands more deaths, and have even intensified in recent months. Several officers accused of attempting to stage a coup have been arrested and comments attributed to then head of US Africa Command General Michael Langley, accusing Traore of using the country's gold reserves for personal protection, sparked anger and protests. Around that time, a series of videos exalting Traore started mushrooming on social media. "Information manipulation has become a lever for retaining power and legitimising the junta's presence," said a Burkinabe specialist in strategic communication, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons. Viral campaigns mixing propaganda and AI-generated content have been shared by activists and English-speaking influencers, notably to denounce Langley and glorify Traore. While some are riding the wave for their own financial gain, others are working for the junta's cyber propaganda entity called Rapid Communication Intervention Battalions (BIR-C), the Burkinabe source said. "They truly operate like a digital army," the source said, adding it was led by US-based activist Ibrahima Maiga, ruling out any "direct links with foreign Russian influence." But the group's anti-imperialist narrative, "presenting Captain Traore as the one who will save Burkina and Africa from Western neocolonialism... suits Russia, which amplifies it in turn," the source said. But the American researcher noted "some reports have established Russian connections in the recent surge of these disinformation operations", particularly in campaigns targeting Ghana and Nigeria. "Destabilising the Nigerian government would have significant regional effects," he warned. Nigerian journalist Philip Obaji, who specialises in Russian influence operations, agreed, adding that "media in Burkina and Togo have accepted money from agents linked to Russia to relay these campaigns". Meanwhile, Burkina's junta has expelled international press that had been working in the country, while local outlets self-censor in fear of arrest and deployment to the front lines against jihadists -- already a fate for some journalists. While the Burkinabe diaspora has attempted to fight back against the pro-junta narrative, including promoting jihadists' attack claims, commenting on or sharing posts is considered glorifying terrorism, punishable by one to five years imprisonment. Analysts say the campaign glorifying Burkina Faso's junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore (R) helps Russia's interests AFP Pope Leo XIV is another celebrity used in the AI disinformation campaign AFP Beyonce, seen here with her rapper husband Jay-Z, also had her likeness used AFP Captain Ibrahim Traore took power in a 2022 coup AFP
NBC News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Syria steps back from ‘open war' in face of intense Israeli strikes after sectarian violence
Syria's leader accused Israel on Thursday of sowing discord with a wave of intense airstrikes following deadly sectarian clashes that threatened the country's fragile unity and illustrated its neighbor's capacity to attack across the region. In a televised speech, Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to protect the rights and freedom of Syria's Druze community — and avoid an 'open war' with Israel. He said Syria"will never be a place for division or fragmentation" as he called protecting the rights of the religious minority a "priority" of his administration. His comments came after the Syrian government and leaders in the Druze community announced a renewed ceasefire Wednesday after days of clashes in the southern city of Sweida threatened the relative stability achieved in the country since the toppling of the Assad regime in December. Government forces were withdrawing from the area, the Associated Press news agency reported, though a previous ceasefire in the area quickly crumbled and it was not immediately clear whether the latest truce would hold. Israel launched rare strikes in Damascu s and elsewhere on Wednesday in a campaign it said was aimed at defending the Druze, who also have a strong presence in Israel — and to force Islamic militants away from its border. "We are not among those who fear war," Sharaa said Thursday, as he accused Israel of "targeting our stability and creating discord among us since the fall of the former regime," according to a transcript from the Reuters news agency. 'But we put the interests of the Syrians before chaos and destruction," he said, adding that local factions and sheikhs had been assigned the responsibility of maintaining security in Sweida. 'We are very worried about the violence in southern Syria," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday, calling it a "direct threat to efforts to help build a peaceful and stable Syria." He added that the Trump administration had "been and remain in repeated and constant talks with the governments of Syria and Israel on this matter.' The flare-up of violence appears to mark the most serious threat yet to the fragile control Syria's new leadership holds over the country following dictator Bashar al-Assad's ouster, with repeated eruptions of violence threatening to undermine Sharaa's vow to rebuild a more inclusive Syri a representative of its myriad religious and ethnic groups. Sharaa has worked hard in recent months to shake off his past as a jihadist leader with links to both the Islamic State terrorist group and Al Qaeda. The Trump administration's move to revoke the foreign terrorist organization designation for his Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham group signaled growing, but cautious, global confidence in his leadership.
