Why Israelis are mocking Facebook’s new name

And other stories from the stranger side of life

Mark Zuckerberg

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.

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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.

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