In late 2024, Meta launched Teen accounts on Instagram, aiming to offer a protective environment for younger users against inappropriate content, enhanced by age verification technologies. These accounts are set to private by default, have offensive language filtered out, and block messages from unknown users.
However, a study conducted by the youth-focused non-profit Design It For Us, alongside research from Accountable Tech, reveals that Instagram’s safeguards for teens are not effective. Over two weeks, five test accounts labeled as Teen were examined, and all displayed sexual content, contradicting Meta’s assurances.
Unwelcome Exposure to Inappropriate Material
Accountable Tech
The report notes that “some of our test Teen Accounts did not receive Meta’s standard protections. None received sensitive content filters, and some lacked safeguards against offensive comments.”
This is not the first instance of Instagram (and other Meta platforms) being criticized for featuring harmful content. In 2021, disclosures revealed that Meta was aware of Instagram’s detrimental impacts, especially on young girls grappling with mental health and body image issues.
In a statement to The Washington Post, Meta contended that the report’s conclusions are flawed and downplayed the severity of the identified content. Recently, the company expanded its Teen warnings to Facebook and Messenger as well.
“A manufactured report does not change the fact that tens of millions of teens now have a safer experience thanks to Instagram Teen Accounts,” a Meta spokesperson stated, adding that the company is actively reviewing the problematic content recommendations.
Image showing police tape at an accident site. — Reuters/File
A bomb detonated near a reproductive health clinic in Palm Springs, California, claiming one life, according to Mayor Ron DeHarte’s statement to Reuters on Saturday.
ABC News reported that, based on information from law enforcement and the clinic itself, at least five individuals suffered injuries due to the explosion.
The Palm Springs city government announced via Facebook that the explosion occurred shortly before 11 a.m. PDT (1800 GMT).
“A bomb has been confirmed to have been either inside or near a vehicle,” DeHarte stated.
The FBI’s Los Angeles office confirmed in a social media post that it is looking into the incident, with bomb specialists dispatched to the site.
Palm Springs is located approximately 100 miles (161 km) east of Los Angeles.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California has been informed about the explosion, as stated by his office.
The Associated Press reported that the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic sustained damage; however, the staff members were unharmed. This information was provided by Dr. Maher Abdallah.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Smoke rises from the top floor of a 52-story residential tower in Sharjah, home to approximately 1,500 residents, following a tragic fire that ignited on Tuesday. —X@ShjPolice
SHARJAH: A devastating fire in a high-rise apartment building located in the Al Nahda area of Sharjah has resulted in the fatalities of five individuals, including a Pakistani worker. Nineteen others have sustained injuries, with two currently in critical condition, according to local police reports.
The incident began around 11:30 AM when the Sharjah Police received an emergency call regarding flames emerging from the highest floor of the building.
The injured individuals are receiving medical care at Al Qasimi Hospital. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, and forensic experts are on-site to ascertain the fire’s origin, as stated by officials.
Witnesses noted that the fire erupted unexpectedly on the building’s uppermost level, which houses a diverse population of around 1,500 residents.
—X@ShjPolice
Emirati officials have shared their condolences, stating, “We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have lost their lives and share in their mourning during this difficult time.”
Updates will be provided as the investigation unfolds.
The most recent prior fire incident that resulted in the death of Pakistani nationals in the UAE occurred on January 25, 2024, according to reports from Gulf media outlets. In that incident, a fire in Sharjah’s Muwaileh area led to the tragic deaths of a Pakistani father and his 11-year-old daughter, while his wife and two other children suffered critical injuries and were hospitalized.
Earlier, in April 2023, a fire in a residential building in Dubai claimed 16 lives and injured nine others. This fire engulfed a five-story building in Dubai’s historic Al-Ras area, frequented by numerous migrant workers and traders, as reported by The National, a newspaper based in Abu Dhabi.
Sharjah is one of the seven emirates that comprise the UAE, where several residential complexes and hotels have faced fire incidents in recent years. In several of these cases, experts suggested that the spread of flames might have been exacerbated by the building’s exterior cladding.
A cryotherapy session in Paris has ended in tragedy, resulting in the death of one woman and leaving another in critical condition due to a nitrogen leak from a cryochamber, as reported by French authorities.
The incident happened on Monday evening at a small sports facility in the 11th arrondissement of the city, according to police sources. Preliminary investigations indicate that a nitrogen leak from the chamber caused the poisoning. A gym employee in her late 20s was pronounced dead, while a female client in her 30s was rushed to the hospital in serious condition.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death has been initiated by the Paris public prosecutor’s office. Additionally, three individuals who provided first aid to the victims also required medical attention, according to the police.
The gym, which had approximately 150 patrons at the time of the incident, was quickly evacuated. Reporters from AFP observed a body being transported out of the facility, covered with a white sheet. Screens were erected to shield the scene from onlookers.
Nitrogen, a colorless and odorless gas commonly utilized in cryotherapy, can pose significant risks if not managed properly. During a cryotherapy session, individuals are subjected to temperatures below -100°C for a maximum of three minutes.
Supporters of whole-body cryotherapy claim it helps reduce muscle soreness, stress, rheumatism, and various skin ailments. Many athletes and celebrities have adopted this treatment as an alternative to ice packs or cold water baths. However, numerous health experts caution that the medical benefits of this practice remain unproven and are calling for more research to assess both immediate and long-term effects.
Diego Brisset, 26, mentioned he intended to work out at the gym but found it closed when he arrived. He remarked, “I’ve always been told it was dangerous,” expressing his relief that he hadn’t tried cryotherapy himself.
This incident echoes past concerns regarding the safety of cryotherapy, as the treatment came under scrutiny in the United States after a tragic event in 2015, when a woman died after being trapped in a cryochamber at a Las Vegas spa after hours. The 24-year-old was discovered the following day by a colleague.
President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office, Washington, D.C., April 9, 2025. — Reuters
WASHINGTON: In an unexpected shift, President Donald Trump announced a temporary reduction of the heavy tariffs he recently implemented on a multitude of countries, all while intensifying pressure on China, leading to a surge in global stock prices.
Following Trump’s declaration, various experts and lawmakers took to social media to share their opinions, with some accusing the president of engaging in a reverse “pump and dump” scheme that affected the U.S. economy.
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff is advocating for an investigation into possible market manipulation or insider trading. He tweeted, “Is Donald Trump’s inner circle illegally benefiting from these drastic fluctuations in the stock market through insider trading? Congress needs to find out.”
— X@SenAdamSchiff
Senator Elizabeth Warren echoed these calls for an investigation, stating, “I’m demanding an inquiry into whether President Trump manipulated the market to favor his Wall Street donors, at the expense of everyday workers and small businesses.” She added, “Did Trump assist insiders in profiting from his sudden tariff changes? It certainly appears corrupt.”
— X@SenWarren
Furthermore, Senator Chris Murphy responded to Trump’s announcement, indicating, “A scandal involving insider trading may be unfolding. Trump’s tweet at 9:30 AM signaled his eagerness for his associates to benefit from private information not available to the public. Who had advance knowledge, and how much profit did they make?”
— X@ChrisMurphyCT
Trump’s announcement on Wednesday came just under 24 hours after new tariffs were implemented on many trading partners, marking the most significant period of financial market volatility since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This instability wiped out trillions of dollars in stock market value and triggered a concerning rise in U.S. government bond yields, which caught the president’s attention.
“I thought people were overreacting; they were getting a bit too excited,” Trump remarked to reporters post-announcement, using a golf term.
Since resuming office in January, Trump has repeatedly threatened punitive actions against trading partners only to backtrack at the last minute. This erratic behavior has left world leaders perplexed and unnerved business leaders, who claim the unpredictability complicates market forecasts.
The recent events highlighted the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s policies and the ways in which they are conceived and executed.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that the reduction of tariffs was intended to incentivize negotiations with other countries. However, Trump later implied that the recent turmoil in the markets had influenced his decision-making.
Despite maintaining for several days that his policies were set in stone, he stated on Wednesday, “You need to be adaptable.”
Nonetheless, he continued to apply pressure on China, the second largest source of U.S. imports, announcing that tariffs on Chinese imports would increase to 125% from the 104% rate that had gone into effect at midnight, further escalating tensions between the two economic giants, which had already been engaged in a series of reciprocal tariff increases.
The reduction in country-specific tariffs is not entirely comprehensive. The 10% blanket duty on nearly all U.S. imports will remain in effect, as confirmed by the White House. The new measures will not impact existing duties on automobiles, steel, and aluminum, which remain in place.
The 90-day suspension does not apply to tariffs imposed on Canada and Mexico, which will continue to be subject to 25% fentanyl-related tariffs unless they comply with the rules set forth in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. These tariffs still remain until further notice, with an indefinite exemption for goods that comply with the USMCA.
Experts believe that China is unlikely to alter its strategy, which involves staying resolute, enduring the pressure, and allowing Trump to make overly ambitious moves. According to Daniel Russel, vice president of international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, “Beijing perceives concessions as a sign of weakness and believes that yielding will only invite additional demands.”
Russel added, “While other nations may welcome the 90-day reprieve—if it lasts—such abrupt changes create the kind of uncertainty that businesses and governments dread.”
Trump’s tariffs initially incited a prolonged sell-off that resulted in the loss of trillions in global stock market value and exerted pressure on U.S. Treasury bonds and the dollar, which serve as the foundation of the global financial system. In response, Canada and Japan announced they would step in to stabilize the situation if necessary, a role typically assumed by the United States during economic crises.
Analysts indicated that the sudden increase in stock prices might not restore all the lost value. Surveys have indicated diminished business investment and household spending as a result of concerns over the tariffs’ consequences. A recent poll found that three out of four Americans anticipate rising prices in the near future.
Goldman Sachs revised its recession probability estimate from 65% down to 45% following Trump’s announcement, asserting that the tariffs still in place are likely to result in a 15% increase in the overall tariff rate.
Treasury Secretary Bessent dismissed inquiries regarding market turbulence, claiming that the abrupt shift benefited countries that adhered to Trump’s advice to avoid retaliation. He posited that Trump employed the tariffs to achieve maximum negotiating advantage, stating, “This was his strategy from the start,” and suggested that Trump had pushed China into a precarious position.
Bessent is the primary negotiator in discussions with over 75 countries concerning issues that may include foreign aid, military collaboration, and economic matters. Trump has also communicated with leaders from Japan and South Korea, and a delegation from Vietnam met with U.S. officials on Wednesday to discuss trade.
Bessent did not disclose how long these negotiations might take.
Trump indicated that an agreement with China could be on the horizon, although officials plan to prioritize discussions with other nations. “China wants to strike a deal,” Trump remarked. “They just aren’t sure how to approach it.”
He noted that he had been contemplating a pause in tariffs for several days. On Monday, the White House sharply denied a report suggesting that such a pause was under consideration, labeling it “fake news.”
Earlier on Wednesday, before the official announcement, Trump attempted to reassure investors, posting on his Truth Social account, “STAY CALM! Everything will turn out well. The USA will emerge bigger and better than ever!” He later added, “NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO INVEST!”
Medical Helicopter Crash in Southwestern Japan Claims Three Lives
TOKYO – On Monday, the Japan Coast Guard confirmed that a tragic accident involving a medical transport helicopter occurred off the southwestern coast of Japan, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.
The helicopter, which was en route from Tsushima Island to a hospital in Fukuoka City, had six people on board during the incident this past Sunday afternoon.
Ryuji Tominaga, the head of the hospital, expressed his sorrow, stating the accident was "incredibly heartbreaking."
After several hours of communication loss, a patrol ship located the six individuals along with the wreckage of the helicopter. Sadly, the 86-year-old patient, her 68-year-old relative, and a 34-year-old physician were found unresponsive and were later pronounced dead by authorities.
The remaining three passengers were discovered clinging to the helicopter, and they were conscious at the time of rescue.
A representative from the helicopter’s operating company noted that both the pilot and mechanic possessed considerable experience and that weather conditions appeared favorable for the flight.
An official investigation will be conducted by Japan’s national Maritime Safety Committee.
According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, this is not the first incident involving this helicopter operator; a previous crash in July of last year resulted in two fatalities when another helicopter had an emergency landing in a Fukuoka area field.
