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Fact check: AI images instead of real Beirut airport attack

Published
6 months agoon
By
Ekwutos BlogThe conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is also a battle of images — and not everything is real. Like two viral images of an alleged Israeli attack on Beirut airport in Lebanon.
What is real in the Middle East conflict and what is not? That’s been a question ever since the escalation of violence since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Much of what is shared, liked and commented on online is neither authentic nor up to date. And the latest fighting between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel has again seen a flood of misleading, manipulated or fake content on social media networks. Here are two recent examples:
Claim: Two pictures of an alleged attack on the airport in Beirut are currently going viral: “A photo for the history books. A plane from the airline MEA lands at Beirut International Airport while Israel fires on the airport,” writes a user on X, sharing a picture that is supposed to show the airport. Another X user shares a second picture and claims that this was “an airliner full of passengers at Beirut International Airport.”
DW Fact check: Fake
Both images are not real but were generated with the help of artificial intelligence. The picture above is supposed to show an airplane approaching to land. Buildings can be seen in the foreground. One of them has illuminated windows. Some of the frames are straight, some are slightly slanted and arranged in a strangely irregular way — something we often encounter in AI-generated images of buildings. In addition, when zoomed in, a kind of blurred bar appears above parts of the aircraft windows and the nose of the aircraft is noticeably short.

The nose of the aircraft is shorter than on the aircraft types flown by MEA, the paintwork of the tail is different and the windows seem to be missing in the front part. The building also has image errors.
© X
We have compared this with images of aircrafts from the airline MEA. According to the company, MEA flies the Airbus models A320 200, A330 200 and A321 NEO. All models have a longer aircraft nose than the one in the AI-generated image. The airline logo on the tail in the image posted on X differs from the actual logo of the airline. There are also anomalies with the aircraft lights. The light shown on top of the fuselage does not comply with international standards. Collision warning lights at the top and bottom of the fuselage are always red, not white as in the picture. This can be seen in the Aviators Guide.
AI detector spots “significant evidence of tampering”
The second picture shows an aircraft on the ground and an airport building in the background. Similar issues can be detected: curved and crooked rows of windows on the building at the back left, landing gear tires on the aircraft that are too far apart, or strangely illuminated doors on the aircraft fuselage. We also checked both images with the AI detection tool from Truemedia.org. In both cases, the software concluded that there was “substantial evidence of manipulation.”

This image also does not show a real attack on Beirut airport. It’s AI-generated, showing an aircraft and a burning building
© X
Despite these issues, a reverse image search shows that the images were shared on numerous platforms such as Threads, Reddit, Telegram, Instagram, and X.
In addition, several Arabic, Russian and Turkish media outlets that reported on the alleged attack also used these AI-generated images. Even well-known media such as CNN Turk or MSN Turkish fell for the fakes and published them.
However, the fact that the two images are not real but AI-generated does not mean that there have not been actual attacks by the Israeli armed forces on targets such as Beirut airport. At the beginning of October, for example, images in media reports showed several actual explosions near the airport.
Nicolas Hammerschlag Vicuna contributed to this article
Author: Joscha Weber
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Nigerian Singer Portable Treats Himself to a Brand-New FORD F150 Truck

Published
4 hours agoon
April 25, 2025By
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Controversial Nigerian singer Portable has splurged on a brand-new FORD F150 truck, flaunting his latest acquisition on Instagram.
In a video, Portable revealed that he topped up the N20 million given to him by Burna Boy after his victory over Speed Darlington in a celebrity boxing match.
The singer knocked out Speed Darlington in the first round of their highly publicized bout, held at the Balmoral Events Centre on April 19.
Burna Boy’s N20 million reward was a celebratory gesture for Portable’s impressive win. With some additional funds, Portable was able to purchase his sleek new ride.
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Construct speed breakers to stop accidents on Apete-Akufo road – Residents to Makinde

Published
16 hours agoon
April 24, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
Residents of communities along the Apete -Akufo road have appealed to Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde to construct speed breakers and bumps om the road.
The residents noted that this is necessary in order to avoid incessant road accidents on the road.
Our correspondent reports that the road serves over 50 communities within Ido local government area.
Ekwutosblog gathered that the 12.5 kilometers road – which is the first concrete road in the state – was executed by Governor Seyi Makinde.
Many road accidents have occurred along the road since its construction.
The residents of the communities appealed to Makinde to provide speed breakers and bumps to avoid future occurrences of accidents on the road.
The residents in a statement signed by the Deputy Provost, Comfort Estate, Araromi, Professor Onyekachi Ireanus Okoro, said that many accidents have occurred on the road.
Okoro, in the statement made available to Ekwutosblog on Thursday, said that reckless driving habits of commercial motorcyclists, tipper truck drivers and other vehicle operators pose a significant threat to the lives of residents and travellers in the affected communities.
Okoro in the statement titled ‘Urgent call for road safety measures’, insisted that the current situation puts the lives of residents, commuters and pedestrians at risk.
“We, the community, are concerned about the increasing number of accidents on the Apete-Akufo Highway. The reckless driving habits of commercial motorcyclists, tipper truck drivers, and other vehicle operators pose a significant threat to the lives of residents and travelers.
“We kindly request the installation of speed breakers or bumps along this highway to reduce speeding and prevent accidents. This measure will help save lives and prevent unnecessary pain and suffering in our communities.
“The current situation puts the lives of residents, commuters, and pedestrians at risk. Speed control measures can significantly reduce the likelihood of accidents.We are concerned about the impact of accidents on families and the community as a whole.
“We urge the relevant authorities to take immediate action to address this issue. The installation of speed breakers or bumps will be a significant step towards ensuring the safety of all road users.
“We believe that with the implementation of these safety measures, we can reduce the risk of accidents and create a safer environment for everyone. We look forward to a positive response to our request”.
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US indicts Nigerian man for $690,000 fraud, lying to obtain American citizenship

Published
20 hours agoon
April 24, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
Oladapo Fadugba, a Nigerian-born United States citizen, risks 27 years imprisonment over his alleged involvement in a $690,000 wire fraud scheme and making false declarations to obtain US citizenship.
This was contained in a statement by the US Attorney for the District of Florida, Gregory Kehoe, on Tuesday.
Kehoe said Fadugba was indicted for multiple charges, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements during his naturalisation process.
He noted that between October 2020 and July 2023, the suspect allegedly diverted $690,000 in funds belonging to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, which was meant for reimbursement to a major local healthcare provider.
It was also alleged that Fadugba used another person’s identity to facilitate the transfers into different bank accounts under his control.
The statement read in part, “According to the indictment, beginning on October 30, 2020, and ending no later than July 11, 2023, Fadugba had more than $690,000 of Department of Veterans Affairs funds, intended for reimbursement to a large local healthcare provider, transferred to his personal bank accounts.
“Fadugba then wrote cheques to himself or to businesses associated with him, which were subsequently transferred to other bank accounts under his control. It is alleged that he used the identification of another individual to carry out these transfers.
“The indictment further alleges that Fadugba, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Nigeria, made a false statement under oath during his naturalization proceeding. Fadugba allegedly falsely stated he had not committed any crime or offense for which he had not been arrested.
“An indictment is merely a formal charge that the defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.”

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