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☆ Oprah Winfrey apologizes for being 'major contributor' to shaming diet culture and the 'wagon of fat' moment
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"I've been a steadfast participant in this diet culture. AdvertisementIn 1988, Oprah Winfrey appeared on her show pulling a wagon full of fat, representing the 67 pounds she had lost in four months. Now, Winfrey told the audience that she wants to support them in their shift toward self-acceptance and healthier mindsets. Oprah Winfrey discussed her history with weight loss culture during the three-hour live stream from Weight Watchers. Shortly after, the Oscar winner helmed the ABC televised special "Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution," which saw her discuss the growing popularity of weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy.

Persons: —, Oprah Winfrey, Winfrey, I've, makeovers, We've, Sima Sistani Organizations: Service, Business, WW International, National Museum of, WeightWatchers, ABC

☆ Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets. I cannot tell you how many weight loss shows and makeovers I have done and they have been a staple since I’ve been working in television,” she said. Winfrey told People Magazine in December that she has added a “weight-loss medication to her regimen” but didn’t specify which drug. Winfrey and WeightWatchersWinfrey left the board of WeightWatchers, ending a nearly decade-long stint as a director of the beleaguered company, in February. “I will say that I was on the board at the time there were discussions about whether or not WeightWatchers would move into weight loss medications,” Winfrey said on Thursday.

Persons: Oprah Winfrey, ”, I’ve, makeovers, Winfrey, Rebel Wilson, Amber Riley, Sima Sistani, Sistani, WeightWatchers Winfrey, ” Winfrey, Oprah, WeightWatchers, ” WeightWatchers, Jimmy Kimmel, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, YouTube, WeightWatchers, Magazine, National Museum of, Goldman Sachs Locations: New York

☆ Strikes Upend Israel’s Belief About Iran’s Willingness to Fight It Directly
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Iran’s unprecedented strikes on Israel this weekend have shaken Israel’s assumptions about its foe, undermining its long-held calculation that Iran would be best deterred by greater Israeli aggression. For years, Israeli officials have argued, both in public and in private, that the harder Iran is hit, the warier it will be about fighting back. Iran’s barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles on Saturday — the first direct attack by Iran on Israel — has overturned that logic. The attack was a response to Israel’s strike earlier this month in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials there. “I think we miscalculated,” said Sima Shine, a former head of research for the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency.

Persons: Israel —, Israel, ”, Sima Shine Locations: Israel, Iran, Syria, Tehran, Lebanon, Yemen

☆ WeightWatchers CEO just sent an internal memo to employees as stock crashes, amid debt concerns, Oprah exit
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But since then WW shares have suffered heavy selling, dropping to a new 52-week low on Thursday. The stock, due to its debt load and short interest, as well as the general anxiety about the impact of the new weight loss drugs, is subject to heightened volatility. In the memo, Sistani told employees she wanted "to take a moment to address some of the breathless media coverage." WW shares closed at $1.87 on Thursday. It noted that WW was among companies from the weight loss industry involved in the TV event.

Persons: Oprah Winfrey, Sistani, Eli Lilly, Sima Sistani, Guggenheim, Oprah, Winfrey Organizations: CNBC, Nordisk, Guggenheim Partners, Guggenheim, WeightWatchers Clinic, FDA, WeightWatchers, National Museum of, ABC

☆ He was once hailed as the pride of China. Now nationalists are coming for this Nobel laureate
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, some of China’s most zealous online nationalists have a new target in their crosshairs: the country’s first officially recognized Nobel laureate. Mo Yan receives the 2012 Nobel Literature Prize from King Carl Gustaf of Sweden during an award ceremony on December 10, 2012 in Stockholm. He accused Wu of creating a publicity stunt by “maliciously framing” the Nobel laureate and taking his words out of context. In 2011, he was named the vice chairman of the state-run Chinese Writers Association – an appointment that could not have been made without the blessing of the party. In 2022, Sima Nan, a nationalist pundit known for his inflammatory criticism of the United States, famously accused Mo’s Nobel win of being a Western effort to smear China.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — They’ve, Mo Yan, Xi Jinping, Xi, Wu Wanzheng, Mao Xinghuo, Wu, Guan Moye, –, Mo, King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Jonathan Nackstrand, ” Zhang Yongsheng, Hu Xijin, Hu, ”, Murong Xuecun, “ Xi, Mao, Writers Association –, Liu Xiaobo, Liu, caricaturize, “, doesn’t, Sima Nan, Mo’s Nobel, ” Murong Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, Communist, Getty, Red Guards, Tongji University, Global Times, Writers Association, Chinese Writers Association Locations: China, Hong Kong, Mo, Weibo, Stockholm, AFP, Shanghai, Beijing, Shandong, United States

☆ Oprah is leaving WeightWatchers’ board, sending stock tumbling 25%
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Oprah Winfrey is leaving the board of WeightWatchers, ending a nearly decade-long stint as a director of the beleaguered company that has faced sudden competition from Ozempic. WeightWatchers shares (WW) plunged 25% in premarket trading Thursday and would be down 85% for the past six months if the premarket losses hold. WeightWatchers has faced more competition recently from GLP-1 prescriptions drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy sometimes used for weight loss. Last year, WeightWatchers also made a $100 million-plus deal to buy Sequence, a telehealth business that offers virtual prescriptions to patients for these weight loss drugs where appropriate. Winfrey told People Magazine in December that she has added a “weight-loss medication to her regimen” but didn’t specify which drug.

Persons: Oprah Winfrey, Winfrey, ”, Oprah, Sima Sistani, WeightWatchers, ” Winfrey Organizations: New, New York CNN, Ozempic, National Museum of, WeightWatchers, Magazine Locations: New York, GLP

☆ Thinking about taking new weight loss drugs? These are the big health risk decisions that will follow
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this article NOVO.B-DKLLYWWGWW Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTAn injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City, U.S., December 11, 2023. But will Americans trust the most iconic brand in the legacy weight-loss business to guide them into its future? "Big pharma was coming for weight loss, and if they didn't have a clinical angle, they would have run the risk of becoming an irrelevant company." "This is a new, incredibly powerful and effective class of pharmaceuticals that a lot of people will find help improve their health." watch nowRisks of overreliance on obesity drugs The risk is real that providers may use the medications and "forget about lifestyle," said John Batsis, an associate professor and nutrition expert at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's school of public health.

Persons: Eli Lilly’s, Brendan Mcdermid, Eli Lilly, —, Sima Sistani —, Sistani, Alex Fuhrman, Hallum, Fuhrman, Davidson, Linda Bolton Weiser, I've, Geoff Cook, Cook, John Batsis, Batsis Organizations: Reuters, Novo Nordisk, CNBC, Craig, pharma, University of North, University of North Carolina Chapel Locations: New York City, U.S, Herbalife, University of North Carolina

☆ How to access the new weight loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Andrea Kane | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

(CNN) — By now, it is pretty clear that the new weight loss and diabetes medications have achieved blockbuster status. Unlike previous weight loss medications, they are pretty effective at helping people lose weight and keep it off — between around 15% to 20% of body weight — with relatively few side effects (although some people can’t tolerate them, and a fraction of patients experience more severe side effects). Zepbound, the newly approved weight loss drug from Eli Lilly, may be easier to find. “Otherwise, some physicians are prescribing older, generic weight loss medications that can be helpful for some patients.”These drugs are not right for everyoneFor many people, the cultural pressure to look a certain way is high. And join us next week on the Chasing Life podcast when we talk to WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani about whether these new weight loss drugs really signal the end of diet culture.

Persons: Sanjay Gupta ”, Eli Lilly, Goldman Sachs, Meg Tirrell John Nowak “, Meg Tirrell, Sanjay Gupta, ” Tirrell, “, ” Eli Lilly, Tirrell, ”, Sima Sistani Organizations: CNN, —, Trilliant Health, Novo Nordisk, US Food and Drug Administration, “, Nordisk, ”

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Women and children are the main victims the Gaza war, with some 16,000 killed and an estimated two mothers losing their lives every hour since Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel, the U.N. agency promoting gender equality said Friday. Of the territory’s 2.3 million population, it said, 1.9 million are displaced and “close to one million are women and girls” seeking shelter and safety. Previously, she said, 67% of all civilians killed in Gaza and the West Bank were men and less then 14% were women. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says nearly 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, 70% of them women and children. Bahous said there is a need for much more aid to get to Gaza, especially to women and children, and for an end to the war.

Persons: Sima Bahous, Antonio Guterres ’, ” Bahous, ”, Bahous, “ Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, UN, West Bank, United Nations, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Israel

☆ 3 titans will fight to dominate the market for Wegovy in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dozens of startups have jumped into the weight-loss market this year as weight-loss drugs, including Wegovy and Ozempic, have exploded in popularity. The few companies with enough money and brand recognition to stand up to Ozempic's distribution challenges — WeightWatchers, Noom, and Ro — can expect to compete for market dominance next year. But WeightWatchers signaled it's going all in on weight-loss drugs by launching its own behavioral program for patients on Ozempic in December. WeightWatchersLike WeightWatchers, Noom has remained staunchly in the weight-loss market since its 2008 launch. Ro launched its own program prescribing weight-loss drugs in January.

Persons: VCs, — WeightWatchers, Sari Kaganoff, WeightWatchers, it's, Sima Sistani, Noom, Ro, Zach Reitano, Kaganoff, Saeju Jeong, Sam Barnes, Aaron DeGagne Organizations: Business, Rock Health, Web, Getty, PitchBook Locations: Ozempic

☆ 2023 has been an AI feeding frenzy, here are the startups that attracted the most investment this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Despite an overall slump in startup funding, 2023 saw a scramble among investors to pour money into AI and machine learning startups. And the company's star still appears to be rising, despite a messy leadership struggle that recently spilled into public view. Meanwhile OpenAI's perennial rival Anthropic attracted multi-billion dollar investments from both Google and Amazon to fund a competing AI model known as Claude. At the same time legacy companies from John Deere to accounting firm PwC played up their AI bona fides to capitalize on the hype. The list doesn't include startups who have not publicly released the amount of their funding rounds.

Persons: OpenAI, Anthropic, Claude, Databricks, John Deere, PwC, Fresh Organizations: Microsoft, Google, Alpha, Technology, Monogram, Sigma, Lambda, Helsing, Metals, Eagle Eye, Amelia, Asimov, Farmers Business, Harbinger, Prins, Silo, Mistral, Alto, AMP, Management Software, Universal, Coro, Kodiak Robotics, Aerospace, Defense, Sana, Corti, Kyte, Mitra, Tech, Boss Digital Technology, Halcyon, & $ Locations: PitchBook

☆ Sheryl Sandberg, Hillary Clinton, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and others issue a global call to action to denounce sexual violence at UN Summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Jennifer Cunningham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Sheryl Sandberg condemned the violence perpetrated against women during Hamas' terrorist attack on October 7 and called on the world to do the same. Sandberg was joined by a host of luminaries, including Hillary Clinton and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, for a UN summit on gender-based violence. Gilad Erdan and Debra Messing attend the summit on sexual violence against women in wartime at the United Nations on Dec. 4, 2023. UN Women issued a statement in December condemning the attacks and expressing alarm at the "numerous accounts of gender-based atrocities and sexual violence during those attacks." Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan addresses the UN Summit on the gender-based violence in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

Persons: Sheryl Sandberg, Sandberg, Hillary Clinton, Sen, Kirsten Gillibrand, —, Debra Messing, Julianna Margulies, Tom Berthal, Amb, Gilad Erdan, Shazar, " Sandberg, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Liel Hetzroni, Ila, Hetzroni, Revivim, Alexi J, Rosenfeld, Simcha Greiniman, Greiniman, York Sen, Gillibrand, Sima Bahous, Erdan Organizations: Hamas, UN, Service, United Nations, Gaza Health Ministry, Be'eri Locations: Gaza, New York City, Israel, Dubai, Revivim, York, Hamas

☆ Sima Sistani says its time for WeightWatchers to embrace Ozempic. Will its users agree?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Sima Sistani, the 44-year-old CEO of WeightWatchers, is aware of this, and she recognized WeightWatchers had to evolve – or else. She also landed a massive deal to buy a telehealth business that can issue virtual prescriptions to patients for these weight loss drugs. Semaglutide was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes as Ozempic, but it was also used off-label for weight loss. Some longtime users of the program feel betrayed by the pivot away from in-person meetings and toward medication-based solutions. “Sadly, they don’t want to do the work,” she said, of tracking food or exercising to achieve weight loss goals.

Persons: New York CNN —, Sima Sistani, WeightWatchers, she’s, Sistani, “, ” Sistani, Erica Shroeder, ”, Jaap Arriens, ” Goldman Sachs, Jenny Craig, Adam Rockmore, Ged, Angela Weiss, Variety Sistani, there’s, Semaglutide, aren’t, “ there’s, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Yonash, influencers, Velanti, Michael Nagle, We’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart, CNN, WeightWatchers, Variety, US Food and Drug Administration, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: New York, Cola, Wegovy

☆ UN calls for investigation into reports that Israeli women were raped by Hamas fighters on October 7
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

UN Women has called for an investigation into reports of violence against Israeli women on October 7. The head of UN Women called for peace and a commitment to both Israeli and Palestinian women. AdvertisementUN Women has called for a "rigorous investigation" into reports of gender-based violence by Hamas against Israeli women on October 7. We remain alarmed by gender-based violence reports on 7 Oct & call for rigorous investigation, prioritizing the rights, needs & safety of those affected. She told the Council that UN Women had met with and heard from Israeli women about their work to document gender-based atrocities and called for peace and a commitment to both Israeli and Palestinian women.

Persons: —, Rabbi Israel Weiss, 7KElvUDKbn, Sima Bahous, Bahous Organizations: UN, Service, Washington Post, Washington, Civil Commission, United Nations, Equality, Women, Council Locations: Gaza

☆ Gaza 'most dangerous place in the world to be a child' - UNICEF
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 22 (Reuters) - The Gaza Strip is the "most dangerous place in the world to be a child," the head of the United Nations children's agency UNICEF said on Wednesday. Israel has focused its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, a territory of 2.3 million people. "The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child," Russell said. "In Gaza, the effects of the violence perpetrated on children have been catastrophic, indiscriminate and disproportionate." Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused Hamas of exploiting children in Gaza for years and repeated long-held criticisms that the United Nations is biased against Israel.

Persons: Hanan Kaloob, Nasser, Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Catherine Russell, Russell, Israel, Sima Bahous, Israel's U.N, Gilad Erdan, Antonio Guterres, Natalia Kanem, Michelle Nichols, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, UNICEF, Wednesday, . Security Council, Israel, Hamas, Fund, Security, UNFPA, Thomson Locations: Khan, Gaza, Israel, Palestine, United

☆ The Ozempic effect has battered this weight loss stock, but Morgan Stanley says it's a top pick
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sequence gives subscribers access to GLP-1 medications such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic. Schenk said the concern about the drop in WW's average revenue per user "seems overblown" and has created a buying opportunity for the stock. Stabilizing core business WW has been focused on stabilizing its core weight loss business. Both developments are a positive for WW's Sequence business. Schenk estimates that around 6 million current or lapsed WW subscribers would qualify for treatment with obesity medication.

Persons: Sima Sistani, Morgan Stanley, Lauren Schenk, Eli Lilly, Schenk, Lilly, Novo Organizations: International, Nordisk's Wegovy, FDA, 3Q, and Drug Administration, Novo Nordisk Locations: Friday's, Novo

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Gaza death toll mounts, IDF on the ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Experts say that while Iran is wary of being dragged into the Israel-Hamas war, it may not be in full control if the militias it backs in the region — like the Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah — independently intervene as Hamas suffers heavy blows and the death toll in Gaza continues to mount. Raisi's comments were not the first warning from an Iranian official of the potential for a broader conflict. Last Monday, Abdollahian said the US has sent Iran two messages regarding escalation in the region. He added that while the US says it wants to de-escalate, it has contradicted itself by continuing to support Israel. Read more on Iran's role in the region.

Persons: Israel, Ebrahim Raisi, Jake Sullivan, Hezbollah —, ”, Sima Shine, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Al Jazeera, ” Abdollahian, Trita Parsi Organizations: US, Lebanese, Hezbollah, Institute for National Security, Iranian, Quincy Institute Locations: Gaza, Iran, Israel, Tel Aviv, United States, Tehran, Washington ,

☆ Iran may not want a full-blown war with Israel, but it may be dragged into one
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And there are now concerns that more fronts will open in the war, including one with Iran. And the US now has specific intelligence that those same groups could escalate even further as the war between Israel and Hamas continues, CNN reported this week. “Tell Iran, tell its proxies in public, in private, through every means: Do not open another front against Israel in this conflict. Shine, of the INSS, said that Iran does not want a direct war with Israel because that would mean a direct war with the US. Iranian media has been brimming with news of the Gaza war, with officials across Iran’s political spectrum expressing solidarity with Palestinians.

Persons: ”, Sima Shine, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Al Jazeera, ” Abdollahian, Abed Khaled, Parsi, Joe Biden, ” Parsi, Israel, Hassan Nasrallah, Antony Blinken, “, ” Blinken, Thomas Coex, Lloyd Austin, Iran’s IRGC, “ They’re, Israel – Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, Tehran’s Azadi, Perspolis FC, Gol Gohar Sirjan FC, Palestinian, Institute for National Security Studies, CNN, Iranian, Quincy Institute, Israel, Revolutionary Guard Corps, United Nations Security Council, Getty, Defense, widener Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Hamas, Gaza, Iran, Tel Aviv, Tehran, United States, Gaza City, Washington ,, Lebanese, Lebanon, Syria, Golan, Palestine, Iraq, Sderot, AFP, Iranian, US

☆ The Company That Defined Dieting Is Sorry It Told Us to Have More Willpower
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Erich Schwartzel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WeightWatchers Chief Executive Sima Sistani hears from them all of the time, those customers she thinks her company has failed. They fill her Instagram inbox with messages detailing their years on the WeightWatchers count-your-points program, a frustrating pattern of fluctuating weight that only made them feel like they weren’t trying hard enough.

Persons: Sima Sistani

☆ Gabon coup: US suspends aid program
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —The United States is holding back assistance that might aid the government of Gabon following last month’s coup, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement released by the US State Department on Tuesday. The move is in line with steps taken by Economic Community of Central African States, the African Union, and other international partners. Army officers in Gabon seized power on Aug. 30, annulling an election minutes after an announcement that President Ali Bongo had won, which they said was not credible. A 24-month transition to elections in Gabon would be “reasonable” after last month’s coup, junta-appointed Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima was quoted as saying by French news agency AFP earlier this month. The African Union suspended Gabon’s membership following the coup.

Persons: Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, annulling, Ali Bongo, Bongo, Raymond Ndong Sima Organizations: Reuters, US State Department, Economic Community, Central, African Union, Army, AFP Locations: United States, Gabon, Central African States, Central

☆ Gabon Junta Eyes 24-Month Transition to Elections - AFP Cites Interim PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - A 24-month transition to elections in Gabon would be "reasonable" after last month's coup, junta-appointed Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima was quoted as saying by French news agency AFP on Sunday. Army officers seized power on Aug. 30, annulling an election minutes after an announcement that President Ali Bongo had won, which they said was not credible. Bongo, in power since 2009, had succeeded his father Omar Bongo, who ruled for 42 years. The junta has promised to oversee free and fair elections, but has not given a timetable for organising them. In the first comments on a possible length of this transition, Ndong Sima told AFP: "It is good to start with a reasonable goal by saying: 'We hope to see the process completed within 24 months so that we can return to elections.'"

Persons: Raymond Ndong Sima, annulling, Ali Bongo, Bongo, Omar Bongo, Ndong Sima, Nilutpal, Alessandra Prentice, Peter Graff Organizations: Reuters, AFP, Sunday . Army Locations: Gabon, Bengaluru

☆ This is the first time in WW history that Q2 ended higher than Q1, says CEO Sima Sistani
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThis is the first time in WW history that Q2 ended higher than Q1, says CEO Sima SistaniSima Sistani, WW International CEO, joins 'Closing Bell Overtime' to talk weight loss drugs, growth in WW's digital platforms and the stock's reaction.

Persons: Sima Sistani Sima Sistani Organizations: WW International

☆ Archaeologists are too scared to open the tomb of China's first emperor because they fear booby traps
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Archaeologists worry that the tomb of China's first emperor contains deadly booby traps. An ancient Chinese historian wrote that the tomb is filled with mercury and crossbows ready to fire. A 2020 study found that mercury concentrations around the tomb are higher than to be expected. Ancient Chinese historian Sima Qian wrote an account around 100 years after the emperor's death about possible booby traps inside the tomb. The terracotta army and Qin Shi Huang's tomb complex are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and remain some of the most significant archaeological discoveries in history.

Persons: China's, Qin Shi Huang, Sima Qian, Craftsmen, Qin Shi Organizations: Service, UNESCO, Heritage Locations: Wall, Silicon, Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

☆ Demographics and grievances widen Israeli judicial divide
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But for many Israelis, the two camps - one rising, the other on its way down - are more polarised than ever. For them, Monday's planned ratification of a curb on Supreme Court powers is a symptom, rather than a cause, of the rifts. Those favouring the legislation are largely religious-nationalists who, by mobilising their growing numbers, helped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu return to office in December. Blindsided by the pace and scale of the reforms, some protesters have vowed to withhold taxes and stop reporting for military reserve duty. Many pro-government Israelis view the seven months of nationwide demonstrations as an attempt to undermine their ballot victory.

Persons: Monday's, Benjamin Netanyahu, overreach, Yair Lapid, Sima Kadmon, Critics, Netanyahu, Aviya Cohen, Eli Cohen, Benny Gantz, Tisha B'av, Gantz, Dan Williams, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Israel, Tel, Likud, Tisha, Thomson Locations: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, West Bank, Moroccan

One rainy spring evening, a young Iranian mother with a mangled arm, her husband and their 3-year-old daughter met a smuggler near the Iraqi border who gave them a stern ultimatum: Ensure the child’s silence or leave her behind. The mother, Sima Moradbeigi, 26, recalled that she dashed to a pharmacy for a bottle of cough syrup to drug her daughter into a stupor. Under the cover of night, the family followed the smuggler out of Iran along mountain paths, sometimes crouching or crawling through muddy scrubland to avoid border guards stalking their route with flashlights. Hours later, Ms. Moradbeigi and her husband said, they arrived safely at a mosque outside the city of Sulaimaniya in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan Region. The Islamic Republic — the theocracy that arose after Iran’s 1979 revolution — was never hospitable to women who rebelled against its strict religious codes for dress and behavior.

Persons: Sima Moradbeigi, Moradbeigi, Juan, —, Mahsa Amini Locations: Iranian, Iran, Sulaimaniya, Iraq’s, Kurdistan Region, Republic

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