Latest news with #Yasar
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Psychopathy and Other Dark Traits Show in People's Faces
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Can you tell if someone is a narcissist—or even a psychopath—just by looking at their face? According to a new study, the answer is yes. Researchers from Yasar, Baskent, and Kadir Has Universities in Turkey conducted three studies involving 880 participants from the United States and Turkey. They found that people were able to accurately infer all three components of the so-called "dark triad"—psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism—based solely on looking at facial images of strangers. Psychopathy—characterized by impulsivity, deceitfulness, and lack of empathy—was the most accurately inferred of the three traits. Participants looked at composite face images created from using images of individuals with extremely high or low scores on personality inventories, and participants were asked to guess which face had more of a particular trait. Another study published earlier this year revealed that people with dark triad traits are often perceived as more attractive, but the ability to recognize and identify these people has roots in evolution. In the new study, the authors suggested that inferring personality from facial features, especially traits that signal a threat or potential harm, could be an adaptive mechanism. "Inferring personality from faces without any concrete source of information might be an evolutionarily adaptive trait," they wrote. Some of the composite face images used in the research, retrieved from Faceaurus database (Holtzman, 2011). Some of the composite face images used in the research, retrieved from Faceaurus database (Holtzman, 2011). Faceaurus database Holtzman, 2011 Spotting friendly faces The study also tested whether participants could detect traits from the "big five" personality model—traits like agreeableness, extraversion, and conscientiousness. Results here were mixed. Agreeableness, which includes qualities like trustworthiness and warmth, was the most consistently identifiable of the big five, especially in male faces. Interestingly, participants consistently struggled with identifying openness and neuroticism—two traits that were actually misidentified more often than not. Similarly, extraversion was only accurately detected in women's faces, not men's. Cultural differences and similarities What sets this study apart from earlier research is its inclusion of both WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) and non-WEIRD populations. To test whether personality traits are visible in people's faces, researchers used composite images from the Faceaurus database, developed by psychologist Nicholas Holtzman. These images were created by blending the faces of real people who had scored very high or very low on traits like psychopathy, narcissism, or agreeableness. Although the faces were based on American participants, they were shown to people in both the U.S. and Turkey to see if judgments held up across cultures. "All dark triad traits were found to be visible in prototypical faces," the study's authors wrote. "This finding replicated across three samples spanning WEIRD and non-WEIRD contexts." Despite this, the composite images were still only made to look Caucasian, as a result study authors noted that future research should use a more diverse set of images. A file photo of a man pulling a smile onto his face. A file photo of a man pulling a smile onto his face. ajr_images/Getty Images How to spot dark triad personalities While these results show that the dark triad can be identified with looks alone, psychology professor Jason Walker of Chicago's Adler University who has studied the dark triad told Newsweek that there are other ways to detect a dark triad personality. "Stop mistaking charm for character. Narcissists are often highly performative and skilled at telling people what they want to hear," Walker said. "Watch how they treat those with less power. True character is revealed in how someone engages with people they don't need to impress." He said that while looks may open the door, trust should be earned through true personality, not charisma or curated image. "Pay attention to subtle power plays—like monopolizing credit, gaslighting dissenters, or constantly shifting blame. These are not quirks, they're red flags," Walker explained. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about psychology? Let us know via science@ References Alper, S., Bayrak, F., & Yilmaz, O. (2021). All the Dark Triad and some of the Big Five traits are visible in the face. Personality and Individual Differences, 168.
The Star
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Flight of a Syrian despot
AS his regime crumbled, Bashar al-Assad made a hasty exit, using a private jet to move cash, valuables and confidential documents from Damascus to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a covert four-flight operation. The Embraer Legacy 600 jet – tail number C5-SKY and registered in Gambia – was arranged by Assad's top economic aide, Yasar Ibrahim. The aircraft shuttled key aides, relatives and materials critical to Assad's corporate empire out of Syria in the final 48 hours before the regime's collapse. Sources – ranging from ex-intelligence officers to insiders in Assad's business network – confirmed that each flight ferried black bags of cash (each containing at least US$500,000), electronic devices and documents outlining the structure of 'The Group', a web of entities controlling sectors from telecoms to energy. Yasar was sanctioned for facilitating the regime's economic survival through shell companies and financial fronts. The fourth and final flight departed on Dec 8 from the Russian-operated Hmeimim military base in Latakia, on Syria's Mediterranean coast. Assad himself left from the same base for Russia, where he was granted asylum. Personal souvenirs belonging to the former president strewn about one of the palace's rooms. — Reuters Reuters spoke to 14 Syrian sources and examined satellite images, WhatsApp chats between Yasar's associates and global aviation records to reconstruct the secretive operation. On Dec 6, as rebels neared Damascus, the 13-seat jet arrived at the capital's international airport. Air Force intelligence officers sealed off the VIP terminal. According to sources on-site, a convoy of Republican Guard vehicles escorted passengers and cargo to the jet. The head of airport security, Brig-Gen Ghadeer Ali, reportedly told ground staff, 'This plane is coming to land and we will deal with it. You have not seen this plane.' Assad's direct involvement was not officially confirmed, but the presence of the Republican Guard – a unit loyal only to Assad or his cousin Gen Talal Makhlouf – left little doubt. 'Bashar gave the orders,' said a former Guard officer. Flight data shows the C5-SKY jet flew to Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen Executive Airport on each trip. It first arrived in Damascus just after midday on Dec 6, then returned to Abu Dhabi the same evening. Each time the jet landed, cars rushed to meet it. Witnesses say palace staff, relatives and even teenagers boarded the first two flights, along with bags of cash and artworks. The third flight on Dec 7 carried hard drives and documents detailing financial records, company ownerships and offshore transfers linked to Assad's empire. UAE embassy vehicles were reportedly seen near the plane before take-off, suggesting that the Gulf state was aware. With rebels at the gates on Dec 8, Assad fled to Latakia under Russian protection. People waving flags adopted by the new Syrian government during celebrations in Damascus after Assad's ousting. — Reuters That same day, the C5-SKY plane vanished from tracking radar after passing Homs, only to reappear hours later, flying back to Abu Dhabi. Satellite imagery confirmed the jet had landed at Hmeimim air base. Aboard was Ahmed Khalil Khalil, a sanctioned associate of Yasar, who arrived in an Emirati embassy armoured vehicle and carried US$500,000 in cash. The funds had been withdrawn two days earlier from Syria International Islamic Bank, via an account linked to Al-Burj Investments – a company half-owned by Yasar. Sources said the aircraft was leased under a 'dry lease' – providing only the plane, without crew or operations. The jet was leased from Lebanese businessman Mohamad Wehbe, who referred to it in a WhatsApp chat as 'the Lebanese plane'. It was registered in Gambia under Flying Airline Company, which is majority-owned by an Iraqi national and partly by a Lebanese man named Oussama Wehbe – believed to be Mohamad's son. C5-SKY had flown frequently to Russia before Assad's fall, including during a period when Western aviation sanctions were in place against Moscow. The government of new Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa is determined to recover assets smuggled abroad. A senior official confirmed that money was taken before Assad's fall but offered no details. While it's unclear if Assad personally directed the operation, insiders said such a sensitive mission could not have proceeded without his consent. — Reuters
