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☆ Earthquake piles misery on war-ravaged Syrians in wintry north
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] People gather as rescuers search for survivors under the rubble, following an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Jandaris, Syria February 6, 2023. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake sent people rushing into the streets in the country's north, where air strikes and shelling have already traumatised the population and weakened the foundations of many buildings. In the rebel-held town of Jandaris in Aleppo province, a mound of concrete, steel rods and bundles of clothes lay where a multi-storey building once stood. "We were pulling people out ourselves at three in the morning," he said, his breath visible in the cold winter air as he spoke. Further west, the main hospital in the rebel-held town of Afrin was teeming with wounded residents writhing on the ground and women struggling to reach loved ones by phone as the lines were down.

☆ Syria earthquake toll rises to more than 230 dead, 600 wounded - senior health official
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/3] Rescuers work at the site of a damaged building, following an earthquake, in rebel-held Azaz, Syria February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Mahmoud HassanoBEIRUT, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A major earthquake killed more than 200 people and injured more than 600 others in Syria, a senior health official told Syrian state TV on Monday. "The earthquake toll rose to 237 killed and 639 injured," Ahmed Damiriyye, an aide to Syria's health minister, said. Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Writing by Clauda Tanios; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lebanon hopes UNESCO danger listing could save crumbling modernist fairground
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1962, the collection of structures on the 70-hectare plot is considered one of the key works of 20th century modernism in the Middle East. "It was placed on the World Heritage List exceptionally, quickly and urgently – and on the list of heritage in danger because it's in a critical situation," said Joseph Kreidi, UNESCO's national programme officer for culture in Beirut. "Placing it on the World Heritage Danger List is an appeal to all countries of the world, as if to say: this site needs some care," said Kreidi. Lebanon has five other sites on UNESCO's World Heritage list, most of them citadels and ancient temples. Mira Minkara, a freelance tour guide from Tripoli and a member of the Oscar Niemeyer Foundation's Tripoli chapter, has fond – but rare – memories of the fairground as a child.

☆ Lebanon devalues official exchange rate by 90%
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIRUT, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Lebanon adopted a new official exchange rate of 15,000 pounds per U.S. dollar on Wednesday, the central bank said, marking a 90% devaluation from its previous official rate that had been unchanged for 25 years. The shift from the old rate of 1,507 is still far off the parallel market where most trades take place. Two market participants said the pound was changing hands at around 59,000 per dollar on Tuesday. Lebanese officials have described the adoption of the new official exchange rate as a step towards unifying an array of rates that have emerged during the crisis. Analysts expect the shift to have less impact on the wider economy, which is increasingly dollarized and where most trades take place according to the parallel market rate.

BEIRUT, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Lebanon will adopt a new official exchange rate of 15,000 pounds per U.S. dollar on Feb. 1, central bank governor Riad Salameh said, marking a 90% devaluation from its current official rate that has remained unchanged for 25 years. The pound has lost some 97% of its value since it began to split from the 1,507 rate in 2019. In order to ease the impact of this shift, banks would be given five years "to reconstitute the losses due to the devaluation," he said. Several rates remain, including the official rate, the central bank's Sayrafa exchange platform rate which currently stands at 38,000 pounds per U.S. dollar, and the parallel market rate. While capital controls have never been formally imposed in Lebanon, banks since 2019 have imposed their own controls, severely limiting withdrawals in dollars and Lebanese pounds.

☆ Cash is king in Lebanon as banks atrophy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Maya Gebeily | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SummarySummary Companies Cash economy replaces once lauded-banking sector'Impossible' for state to collect taxes in cash economy - traderWest frets over money laundering, terrorism finance - diplomatCHTAURA, Lebanon, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The money exchange shop in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley was buzzing with business. Cash is now king in Lebanon, where a three-year economic meltdown has led the country's once-lauded financial sector to atrophy. Even the largely paralysed Lebanese state is moving towards the cash economy: the finance ministry has considered requiring traders to pay newly-increased customs tariffs partly in cash. Paul Abi Nasr, CEO of a textile company, said the cash economy made it "practically impossible" to enforce taxes "because everything can simply stay outside of the banks". "The transformation to a cash economy means the collapse of the economy," said Mohammad Chamseddine, an economic expert at Lebanese research group Information International.

☆ Vast Maya Kingdom Is Revealed in Guatemalan Jungle
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Aylin Woodward | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Part of the ancient Maya city El Mirador in northern Guatemala that was detailed using light-detection and ranging equipment. Nestled in the jungle of northern Guatemala, a vast network of interconnected Maya settlements built millennia ago has been mapped in unprecedented detail. The civilization featured towering pyramids, palaces, terraces, ball courts and reservoirs connected by a sprawling web of causeways, an international group of archaeologists reported during a presentation at Francisco Marroquín University in Guatemala City this month.

That has rendered a community that experts estimate to be 7 million to 8 million people invisible, underrepresented and unnoticed. There's power in numbers, Berry said, and as it is now, much of the research on the American MENA community is anecdotal because of the lack of an identifier. "Small-business owners in the community would be able to take advantage of grants that we're not entitled to, because we're factored into the white category." 'It's like déjà vu'It isn't the first time the U.S. has concluded that a MENA category is necessary. It's a processThe recommendation for the OMB to adopt a MENA category is just that — a recommendation.

☆ TotalEnergies says well drilling in Lebanon's offshore Block 9 to begin in Q3
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Following months of talks, QatarEnergy has taken a 30% stake in the consortium, leaving TotalEnergies and Eni with 35% each. "From a geological point of view, I am positive" about a discovery in Lebanon's Block 9, Descalzi told reporters. Pouyanne and Qatar's energy minister Saad al-Kaabi, also the CEO of QatarEnergy, said they were discussing possible coordination on renewable energy in Lebanon. Lebanon's first licensing round in 2017 saw a consortium of TotalEnergies, Eni and Russia's Novatek win bids to explore. Pouyanne said the maritime border agreement had ended the "deadlock" facing exploration activities in Block 9.

☆ State Department Issues Warning for Travelers Taking Ubers in Cancún
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Allison Pohle | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Travelers to some popular Mexican tourist destinations should be cautious when hailing rides from apps due to conflicts between taxi and Uber Technologies Inc. drivers, the U.S. government warned this week. On Monday, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a security advisory warning of disputes between drivers for ride-hailing apps and local taxi unions, which have in some cases turned violent. The alert is for the state of Quintana Roo, home to popular resort destinations including Cancún, the Riviera Maya and Tulum.

"He is not above God," Oweidat told Reuters, referring to Bitar. Several members of parliament had earlier met with the justice minister and the head of the supreme judicial council. 'JUDICIAL SCANDAL'Families of those killed in the blast, members of parliament and other Lebanese flocked to Lebanon's justice palace on Thursday to demand Bitar be allowed to carry on. This week's developments have set up a tug-of-war in Lebanon's judiciary, where politicians have influence over many appointments. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Wednesday that splits in the judiciary could have "dangerous consequences" if left unresolved.

[1/3] George Bezdjian, whose daughter Jessica died in 2020 port explosion, holds her picture during a protest against steps taken this week to hamstring a probe into the 2020 port blast, in Beirut, Lebanon January 26, 2023. With friends and allies of Lebanon's most powerful factions, including Hezbollah, among those charged, the establishment struck back swiftly on Wednesday, when the prosecutor general charged Bitar with usurping powers. With deep fissures in the judiciary exposed, the tussle adds to the unravelling of a state accelerated by a three-year-long financial crisis, left to fester by the ruling elite. Attempts by a Lebanese judge to investigate Salameh have hit obstacles in Lebanon, where politicians have big sway over the judiciary. In opposing Bitar, Hezbollah has accused the United States of meddling in the investigation and Bitar of political bias.

☆ California shooting victims: Who died in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay attacks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jan 26 (Reuters) - Back-to-back mass shootings in California have claimed the lives of people who loved to dance at a studio in Monterey Park and farm workers in the coastal community of Half Moon Bay. HALF MOON BAY VICTIMSSeven people were killed and one person was in critical condition after a 66-year-old man on Monday attacked two mushroom farms near the resort town of Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, police said. "You look to improve your life and then you end up with this," said Juarez, quiet and sullen as he took a break from cooking at a Mexican restaurant in a Half Moon Bay strip mall. Perez was stunned when, upon arriving in Half Moon Bay in the late 1990s, he saw Martinez-Jimenez again at a party. The San Mateo County Coroner's Office declined to comment on the identities of the victims in the Half Moon Bay shooting.

☆ How M&M’s is making the most of its spokescandies controversy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Given the outsize attention, some think M&M’s announcement is a PR stunt to hype its upcoming Super Bowl commercial. M&M’s relatively subtle changes aimed at inclusivity didn’t seem like they were designed to spark much controversy, if any. At the Washington Post, for example, an opinion piece declared “the M&M’S changes aren’t progressive. “In the last year, we’ve made some changes to our beloved spokescandies,” M&M’s said. “The original colorful cast of M&M’s spokescandies are, at present, pursuing other personal passions,” Wesley said.

Bitar told Reuters on Wednesday that Oweidat "had no right" to file the charge or release detainees because Oueidat himself was charged over the explosion. Oweidat told Reuters he had summoned Bitar for questioning but did not say whether he had charged him. Oweidat had earlier recused himself from any involvement in the blast probe as Bitar had issued an arrest warrant for his brother-in-law, former public works minister Ghazi Zeaiter. "Instead of me appearing before him, he'll be appearing before me," Oweidat told Reuters by text message. He met with French investigators visiting Beirut last week as part of a French probe into the explosion, whose victims included two French nationals.

☆ M&M’s Ditches ‘Spokescandies’ for Maya Rudolph After Backlash Over New Look
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jennifer Calfas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The brand said it believes Maya Rudolph will ‘champion the power of fun to create a world where everyone feels they belong.’The M&M characters are taking a break a year after their new looks sparked controversy. The Mars Inc. brand said Monday that its candy characters—known as “spokescandies”—will begin an “indefinite pause” from their duties. Comedian Maya Rudolph will take their place as the brand’s spokesperson and will star in the candy’s upcoming advertisement at Super Bowl LVII in February, the brand said.

BEIRUT, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The judge probing the 2020 Beirut blast has charged Lebanon's top public prosecutor, the then-premier and other senior current and former officials in connection with the devastating explosion, judicial sources said and court summons show. He also charged Prosecutor General Ghassan Oweidat, the head of Lebanon's domestic intelligence agency Major General Abbas Ibrahim, former army commander Jean Kahwaji and other current and former security and judicial officials, court sources said. [1/2] Relatives of some of the victims of the August 2020 Beirut port blast carry their pictures and banners during a protest outside the Justice Palace, in Beirut, Lebanon September 7, 2022. The embassy on Tuesday tweeted that the United States "support and urge Lebanese authorities to complete a swift and transparent investigation" into the blast. Diab, an academic, became prime minister in January 2020 and resigned less than a week after the blast.

You feel like he's on a solo mission," Tania Daou-Alam, who lost her husband in the blast, told Reuters. Bitar went on to file his own charges against several top politicians, including former ministers allied to Hezbollah. Bitar, a devout Catholic from Akkar region of the north, has charged officials from across the sectarian spectrum including Shi'ites, Sunnis and Christians. "I said from the start 'the right person is in the right place'," he added, describing Bitar as just with no political affiliations. William Noun, who lost his brother in the blast, said of Bitar's move: "This is very much a judicial uprising".

☆ California shootings: Who died in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay attacks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - Back-to-back mass shootings in California have claimed the lives of people who loved to dance at a studio in Monterey Park and farm workers in the coastal community of Half Moon Bay. MONTEREY PARK VICTIMSEleven people died after a 72-year-old gunman opened fire late Saturday during a celebration of the Lunar New Year at the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, east of Los Angeles. There were six women killed: My Nhan, 65, Lilian Li, 63, Xiujuan Yu, 57, Muoi Ung, 67, Hong Jian, 62, and Diana Tom, 70. HALF MOON BAY VICTIMSSeven people were killed and one person was in critical condition after a 67-year-old man on Monday attacked two mushroom farms near the resort town of Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, police said. Police said two other people were also killed at the mushroom farm off Highway 1 just south of Half Moon Bay.

☆ Tucker Carlson does a victory lap after M&M's cancels its 'spokescandies' following conservative backlash over the green one's shoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Loading Something is loading. In the segment, Carlson recapped his show's coverage of the ongoing rebrand of the M&M's mascots and criticized coverage from other news outlets. "There is a lot of outrage over the end of frumpy, plus-sized, and lesbian M&Ms," Carlson also tweeted. M&M's announced a pause on the brand's spokescandies in a statement on Twitter Monday, writing: "In the last year, we've made some changes to our beloved spokescandies. Carlson previously criticized the brand's redesigned mascots, calling the brown M&M "less sexy" without her stilettos and slamming the rebranding of the green M&M from her go-go boots to sneakers.

☆ I was laid off from my job at Twitter and I've applied to about 60 jobs since then. Here are 8 things job-seekers need to know about hiring right now.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Katie Malone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Since being laid off in October, she has applied to over 60 jobs. I landed at Twitter as a senior manager of web strategy for the developer platform team in February 2022. I found out I was pregnant in mid-November during the Twitter interview process, but I was able to negotiate full maternity leave into my offer. Since then, If I had to guess, I probably applied to well over 60 roles at this point. That was a huge advantage when I was applying for a role at Twitter.

After controversy following its mascot refresh last year, M&M's announced Monday it is taking an "indefinite pause" from using its candy-coated mascots, saying the "last thing M&M’s wanted" was to be "polarizing." M&M’s said in a tweet that it is instead tapping actor Maya Rudolph as its spokesperson, someone the brand said "America can agree on." He made similar complaints about the candies last January after M&M’s announced a new, inclusive look. “But now we get it — even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing," the brand wrote. Others speculated the announcement could be a publicity stunt made ahead of the Super Bowl, which takes place on Feb. 12.

☆ Analysis: This guy made $150,000 a day, because Corporate America is out of control
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

I’m seeing the words “recession,” “crypto,” “debt ceiling,” the “M&M’s spokescandy scandals…”And yet, I am bound my duty as a journalist not to shy away from the hard candy shell news. I know, I know, you’re all tired of the media’s relentless coverage of the M&M Spokescandy Saga, aka the Culture War Battle that is shaping social discourse in the Year of Our Lord 2023. The company claims it didn’t think anyone would notice when it released the changes to the characters’ appearance. “We definitely didn’t think it would break the internet,” it said in a press release that frankly reeked of champagne and high fives. Oh you didn’t think anyone would notice, M&M marketing wizards?

☆ M&M’S says its taking a ‘pause’ from polarizing spokescandies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“In the last year, we’ve made some changes to our beloved spokescandies,” the chocolate candy brand said in a statement Monday. The Green M&M, pre-makeover, is seen here in her go-go boots. Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/AP“[Rudolph] will serve as the brand’s new spokesperson, allowing the colorful cast of M&M’S spokescandies to step away and embrace a new path to pursue other passions,” An M&M’S spokesperson told CNN in an email. A petition to “keep the green M&M sexy” garnered over 20,000 signatures. Purple was recently deployed as part of a limited-edition pack of purple, brown and green M&M’S — the colors of the female spokescandies — in honor of International Women’s Day.

☆ M&M's says its killing its 'spokescandies' after conservatives were outraged that the green one didn't wear go-go boots anymore
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An M&Ms spokesperson said that Maya Rudolph's first appearance as the brand's spokesperson and "Chief of Fun" will be in the upcoming Super Bowl LVII M&M advertising campaign. "Maya will serve as the brand's new spokesperson, allowing the colorful cast of M&Ms spokescandies to step away and embrace a new path to pursue other passions," the spokesperson said. The brand began making changes to its walking, talking M&M's characters early last year, replacing the shoes of both the brown and green female M&M's. Most notably, Mars Wrigley, the maker of the popular chocolate candy, replaced the green M&M's high-heeled go-go boots with sneakers. By December 2020, the new mascot was deemed a fully grown peanut by December 2020, Esquire reported at the time.

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