Meta: Facebook’s new name ridiculed by Hebrew speakers

Facebook’s announcement that it is changing its name to Meta has caused quite the stir in Israel where the word sounds like that for “dead”.

To be precise, Meta is pronounced like the feminine form of the Hebrew word.

A number of people have taken to Twitter to share their take on the name under the hashtag #FacebookDead.

The emergency rescue volunteers Zaka even got involved, telling their followers on Twitter: “Don’t worry, we’re on it”.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter

Another Twitter user said: “Thank you for providing all Hebrew speakers a good reason to laugh.”

Facebook isn’t the only company to be ridiculed over translations of its branding.

Here are a few examples of when things got lost in translation.

‘Eat your fingers off’

When KFC arrived in China during the 80s, its motto “finger lickin’ good” didn’t exactly go down well with the locals.

The motto’s translation in Mandarin was “eat your fingers off”.

But it didn’t harm the company too much. KFC is one of the largest fast food chains in the country.

Image caption,The phrase ‘finger lickin’ good’ did not translate well in Mandarin

‘Manure’

Rolls-Royce changed the name of its Silver Mist car as mist translates as “excrement” in German.

The car was named Silver Shadow instead.

Meanwhile when Nokia released its Lumia phone in 2011, it didn’t exactly get the reaction it was expecting.

In Spanish, Lumia is a synonym for a prostitute, although it apparently only appears in dialects with a heavy gypsy influence.

Honda however had a lucky escape. It almost named its new car the Fitta, which is a vulgar description for vagina in Swedish. It apparently did not translate well in a number of other languages.

Apparently the issue was detected early on and a decision was made to name the vehicle Jazz in most countries.

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President’s ‘clean-up call’ worries Tunisians

Tunisians on social media have expressed concern at President Kaïs Saïed’s call for “the true Tunisian nationalists to clean up the country” from the those who “have embezzled the country’s funds”.

Speaking in a ministerial meeting, the president did not specify who were the “true nationalists” nor did he identify those who had “embezzled the country’s funds”.

It is seen by many as a divisive move and a dangerous call for the president’s supporters to harass his opponents.

“This statement means setting up militias from ‘the true nationalist’ to clean up the country with violence and abduction. It is a call for civil war,” wrote Mohamed Dhifallah on Twitter, in just one example.

Mr Saïed has been under pressure from opposition parties and organisations in the country as well the international community to restore the democratic institutions in the country.

Since suspending parliament last July lawyers, MPs, politicians and journalists have been arrested for taking a stand against the president’s decisions. TV channels and radio stations critical of Mr Saïed have also been shut down.

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Puneeth Rajkumar: Indian film star dies age 46

Puneeth Rajkumar, a prominent film actor from southern India, has died at the age of 46.

The star of Kannada cinema worked on more than 29 films and won the national award for “the best child artist” earlier in his career.

Rajkumar died of a heart attack in Bengaluru on Friday, his manager confirmed.

Offices and shops in Bengaluru have closed fearing violence following his sudden death.

There has been a sudden outpouring of grief among his fans who have gathered outside his residence in the city.

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters that Rajkumar was taken to the doctor, complaining of intense fatigue after visiting the gym.

He was then rushed to hospital, where he later died.

His body will be placed at the Kanteerava Stadium for fans to pay their respects.

Rajkumar was known for his dancing skills and was a playback singer like this father Rajkumar. His first appearance was in the film “Bettadu Hoovu”, alongside his father, when he was just 10 years old.

A decade later, he appeared in “Appu” and continued starring in films, with his last movie appearance in 2017.

Rajkumar’s elder brother Raghavendra Rajkumar said his family were “in a state of shock” and urged everyone to remain peaceful.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Rajkumar on Twitter.

“A cruel twist of fate has snatched away from us a prolific and talented actor, Puneeth Rajkumar. This was no age to go,” Mr Modi said.

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Belgium hands over Rwanda’s colonial-era songs

Belgium’s ambassador to Rwanda has handed over a digital copy of traditional songs, music and stories recorded during colonial rule to officials in the capital, Kigali.

It includes more than 4,000 recordings made since 1954, mostly by former Belgian officials which have been kept at the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Belgium’s capital, Brussels.

“This is the first step, we expect more materials and objects of our heritage from Belgium,” an official from Rwanda’s cultural heritage academy told BBC Great Lakes.

Belgian forces occupied Rwanda, which had been part of German East Africa, during World War One.

The repatriated recordings will be placed in a museum where members of the public will be able to access them.

These materials will help to “educate and inspire Rwandan youth in our traditional music and arts”, the official said.

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