9.18.2024

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Pagers Explode in Lebanon

At least 11 people were killed and close to 4,000 were injured yesterday after hundreds of communication devices simultaneously detonated across Lebanon. Hezbollah officials claimed the incident was a coordinated Israeli attack on the militant group's members, with Lebanon's foreign minister promising retaliation. 

The hourlong incident primarily involved recently issued pagers, low-tech electronic devices used by Hezbollah to circumvent Israeli surveillance. Israel reportedly planted explosives in the devices before they were imported to Lebanon, according to US and other officials. Videos showed the devices exploding in public places, with reports the pagers would beep several times before detonating (see video, warning—sensitive content). Hospital workers reported dozens of injuries to the eyes, hands, and waist. An eight-year-old girl and the son of a Lebanese lawmaker were among those killed, while Iran's ambassador to Lebanon was reportedly injured.

The attack comes amid an 11-month conflict between Lebanon and Israel since Hamas—a Hezbollah ally—attacked Israel (see background). On Monday, Israel made returning its civilians to its northern border area near Lebanon an official war objective amid months of rocket attacks there.

Diddy Indictment Unsealed

Hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was indicted yesterday on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution following his arrest in Manhattan Monday night. The 54-year-old music executive has pleaded not guilty and was ordered to stay in jail while awaiting trial. See the indictment here.

Prosecutors allege Combs used his business empire—spanning music, alcohol, and fashion—and his employees to facilitate and conceal criminal activities. Combs has faced multiple lawsuits this year, including one filed in November by his former partner, R&B artist Cassie, who accused him of years of physical assault and rape. The indictment includes several allegations that date back 15 years. Federal agents raided Combs' California and Florida homes in March, where they allegedly found narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of oil and lubricant.

The charges make Combs the highest-profile figure in the music industry to face federal sexual misconduct charges since R. Kelly, who is currently serving a 30-year term.

Instagram's Teen Overhaul

Instagram began introducing new restrictive accounts yesterday for users under the age of 18 to address growing concerns about social media's impact on youth. The overhaul is estimated to affect over 100 million accounts worldwide and comes as parent company Meta faces a lawsuit from 33 states alleging its platforms harm children's mental health. 

New accounts for minors in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia will be set to private automatically while existing accounts will transition to private over the next 60 days. Default settings will limit who can contact minors and what content minors can see. Upcoming features (see here) include silencing notifications from 10 pm to 7 am and prompting users to close the app after 60 minutes. Users aged 16 and above can adjust their settings manually. Meta will introduce these accounts in the European Union later this year and in other countries in 2025. 

Meta is also testing age verification processes, including using AI to prevent minors from misrepresenting their age. See stats on social media use among teens here.

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