International
Manipulated ‘you’ searches’ and a fake message: what is known about the explosions in Lebanon
A new shipment of search devices used by members of the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbulá, originally manipulated before arriving in Lebanon, and a false message that detonated them remotely are the most likely hypotheses of the chain of explosions that this Tuesday caused at least twelve deaths in an operation attributed to Israel.
According to various sources, and in the absence of knowing the exact details, including who was the author of that cyber attack that from Lebanon is attributed to Israel, the Lebanese Minister of Telecommunications, Johnny Corn, assures that the devices that exploded were part of a shipment that “recently” arrived” in Lebanon.
He states that “maybe it was activated remotely,” although he does not yet know how, and indicates that, according to preliminary information, “the batteries of the people seekers heated up.”
It may, therefore, that even some people threw away those devices before they exploded.
This is what is known so far about this unusual and sophisticated operation:
Since the simultaneous attack, which injured thousands of people, including the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani, and which affected members of the Shii armed formation in Syria, there have been numerous hypotheses about how this attack could have occurred.
The most likely, and that some experts are already pointing out, such as the military analyst and independent politician, Elijah J. Magnier, is that an explosive trap was placed inside the devices, which “were not imported directly to Lebanon, but were stopped in a nearby country for three months, where Israel implanted the explosive.”
In what would be a sophisticated infiltration in the supply chain of these devices, Israel would have placed the explosives in that batch of devices, in total about 3,000, according to several US media, including The New York Times, always citing anonymous sources.
These explosives would have been implanted next to the battery of each of the mensaphones, which is why there was an overheating prior to the explosion, to which a mechanism was added to detonate them remotely.
That mechanism was a false message, which supposedly came from the dome of Hezbulá, and that when punctured activated the explosives.
Before the detonation, according to the sources, the device was programmed to beep for several seconds.
This type of attacks on supply chains is a concern in the field of cybersecurity due to the potential ‘hacks’ that may occur in the development phases, although these actions are normally limited to software and not to hardware, since for the latter it is required to have accessed the device during the assembly line.
Several computer experts consulted by EFE support the theory that, for these explosions to occur, the devices would have to have been manipulated at origin or destination, pointing out that the manufacturers of the components of these mensaphones are the ones who should respond to this.
And they have done so, since according to the New York Times, Hizbulá commissioned the devices from the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo.
However, the Asian company denied in a statement having manufactured these devices and indicated that the person responsible for producing them is a company called ‘BAC’, which is based in Budapest.
Regarding the AR-924 ‘person-seeker’ that would have been used in the explosions, the Taiwanese company reiterates that it is a model “produced and sold” by BAC.
“We only provide the authorization of the registered trademark and we are not involved in the design or manufacture of this product. We always adhere to the relevant regulations and maintain a transparent and compliant cooperation with our partners,” the statement concluded.
The Shiite group uses among its members this kind of devices as a means of communication to avoid being geolocated by Israel, which usually carries out selective murders against members of Hezbullah, among other factions present in Lebanon and Syria.
Mensaphones, which became obsolete with the arrival of the mobile phone, are low-tech wireless devices that basically receive alphanumeric and bidirectional messages, with the ability to send and receive short messages.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
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