Why Israelis are mocking Facebook’s new name
And other stories from the stranger side of life
Social media users in Israel have mocked Facebook’s company name change to Meta, as the new name sounds similar to the Hebrew word for “dead”. One post read that “Somebody did not do their #branding research.” Dr Nirit Weiss-Blatt, author of The Techlash and Tech Crisis Communication, tweeted: “In Hebrew, *Meta* means *Dead* The Jewish community will ridicule this name for years to come.”
Christmas dinner in a can launched today
Heinz has launched a “Christmas dinner in a can”. The soup contains “big chunks” of turkey, pigs in blankets, brussel sprouts, stuffing balls and potatoes, with a gravy and cranberry sauce. The company has produced only 500 cans of its Christmas Dinner Big Soup, which are available from today on its website, but has hinted it could roll out greater numbers next year if it proves a hit with shoppers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Cuban zoo animals mated more during pandemic
Zookeepers at Cuba’s National Zoo say several species of exotic and endangered animals enjoyed the peace and quiet of Covid pandemic so much they produced a bumper crop of baby animals. Zoo veterinarians say the surge in newborn leopards, bengal tigers, zebras, giraffes, antelopes and oxen came about because the zoo was closed during the pandemic.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Moon dust has earthly elements thanks to a magnetic bridgeUnder the radar The substances could help supply a lunar base
-
World’s oldest rock art discovered in IndonesiaUnder the Radar Ancient handprint on Sulawesi cave wall suggests complexity of thought, challenging long-held belief that human intelligence erupted in Europe
-
Claude Code: the viral AI coding app making a splash in techThe Explainer Engineers and noncoders alike are helping the app go viral
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison