Juul to eliminate about 500 jobs, new CEO says

Juul Labs Inc. plans to cut roughly 500 jobs by the end of the year, according to people familiar with the matter, reversing the embattled e-cigarette maker’s rapid expansion amid a mysterious vaping-related illness and a proposed ban on flavors that make up more than 80% of its U.S. sales.

The cuts are part of a broader reorganization aimed at mending the company’s damaged relationship with regulators. Besides the job cuts, Juul will trim its marketing budget and invest in new ways to reduce underage vaping.

The e-cigarette market is undergoing “a necessary reset,” the company’s new CEO, K.C. Crosthwaite, said in a statement Monday. Juul’s focus, he said, is on “earning a license to operate in the U.S. and around the world.”

Juul this year has added an average of 300 employees a month and its staff has swelled to a little over 4,000 employees. It enacted a hiring freeze in September shortly before Crosthwaite took over.

An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.

Also popular on WSJ.com.

Humans are gobbling up acorns, driving squirrels nuts.

Bosses, get out of your employees’ way.

Brazil spill: President says oil is not Brazil's

Environment minister says at least 42 coastal cities have been affected by the spill.

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro says an oil spill polluting his country’s beaches since early September is not of Brazilian origin.

The Brazilian environmental agency says it has cleaned up more than 100 tonnes of oil which washed up on more than 100 beaches in the northeast.

Bolsonaro says it could be the result of criminal activity or a shipwreck.

An investigation to find out the cause is still under way but it is not yet clear what the extent of the damage will be.

Al Jazeera’s Sara Khairat reports.

Zimbabwe economy: Doctors strike, reject government pay rise

Zimbabwean health services in disarray as doctors demand US dollar salaries, refuse to resume work over poor pay.

Doctors in Zimbabwe are continuing to strike, defying a government order to return to work.

They have rejected a 60-percent pay rise, saying it is not enough to keep up with soaring prices.

But with the economy in free fall, patients needing treatment are also suffering.

Al Jazeera’s Haru Mutasa reports from Harare.

New Zealand anniversary: 250 years since the British arrived

Controversy over marking day British colonialists landed as Maoris suffered under their rule.

New Zealand has marked the 250 anniversary of when British explorer James Cook arrived and subsequently set up colonial rule.

But protesters say the Maoris were unfairly treated during this era, and are suffering today as a result of that discrimination.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the country needs to have an open conversation about its past.

Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari reports.

South African students suffering hunger crisis

Nearly 80 percent of students at this university fund their studies through government financial aid or loans, and have little money left for accommodation or food.

More than a third of students at universities in South Africa are suffering from what is being described as a hidden hunger crisis.

Once their fees are paid, there is little money left to pay for accommodation or to buy food.

Tens of thousands of students cannot afford to feed themselves.

Researchers say hunger levels among them are higher than in the general population.

Fahmida Miller reports from Johannesburg.

Kabul Gardens: Historic Afghan park restored to glory

In Kabul, it is rare to find a safe space where children can run and adults can connect.

Kabul’s largest historic park has reopened after lying in ruins for almost three decades.

The gardens at Chihilsitoon were heavily damaged in Afghanistan’s civil war and now they are part of a larger restoration project.

Al Jazeera’s Charlotte Bellis reports from Kabul.

US considers extending some tariff exclusions on Chinese imports as trade talks continue

• The U.S. is considering extending certain tariff exclusions on $34 billion of imports from China as the two work toward a trade agreement, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative says.
• Exemptions on nearly 1,000 products are set to expire in December.

The U.S. will consider extending certain tariff exclusions on $34 billion of imports from China as the two nations work toward a trade agreement, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said Monday.

Nearly 1,000 products were exempted from the July 2018 tariff, and those exclusions are set to expire on Dec. 28.

The extension would give the companies importing those products leeway, while mitigating tensions between the global superpowers as they hash out the details of their agreement. In September, China said it plans to exclude American farm goods, including soybeans, from tariffs amid the trade talks.

The USTR said last week that China and the U.S. are close to finalizing a phase one deal. President Donald Trump has said the agreement will address intellectual property and financial services and include a pledge for China to buy $40 billion to $50 billion in American agricultural products.

Iraqi minister of defense says a missile fell near Taji camp causing no damage

CAIRO (Reuters) – Iraqi Defense Minister Najah al-Shammari said on Tuesday a missile fell near Taji camp but caused no damage.

“Camp Taji is witnessing security stability, and there is no damage,” he said in a statement, stressing the need for caution to preserve the safety of all those in the camp.