by thenationalnews.com — A major Beirut hotel, owned by the UAE-based Al Habtoor Group, has reopened. It closed after suffering severe damage in Beirut’s port blast that killed more than 215 people on August 4, 2020. Group chairman Khalaf Al Habtoor, a prominent UAE businessman, said he was hopeful that the nearby Le Mall Sin El Fil in Beirut could also reopen soon, after closing in March 2020 amid Lebanon’s economic downturn. The five-star Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace welcomed visitors back on December 30 in the Beirut suburb of Sin El Fil. Writing on Twitter, Mr Al Habtoor said he loved Lebanon and was “very disturbed by the deteriorating economic conditions”. He added that part of his desire to get the hotel running again was to support hundreds of families.

Al Habtoor Group also owns the adjacent Hilton Beirut Habtoor Grand, which only briefly closed after the 2020 explosion. Le Mall Sin El Fil, part of a wider chain in the country, had closed in the months after Lebanon’s economic collapse had first become apparent. The building was owned by Al Habtoor, but leased and operated by Acres Development, itself a subsidiary of retail group Azadea. Acres Devlopment still operates two Le Mall branches in Dbayeh, just north of Beirut, and in the southern city of Saida. “The decision comes amid deteriorating economic conditions in Lebanon which have negatively impacted household spending in a wide range of sectors, coupled with a difficulty importing from abroad, in light of the financial crisis, and a lack of bank facilitations,” Acres had said in 2020 when it announced the closures.

By Dime Saved — There are endless sources of inspiration for travelers nowadays, and with pandemic travel restrictions having been largely lifted, you can explore nearly every corner of the world. There are still places rarely anyone would like to visit, and for a very good reason – they are the most dangerous countries and cities on Earth. While destinations ruled by highly repressive regimes such as North Korea or war-torn states like Ukraine and Afghanistan are obviously unsafe for locals and tourists alike, many cities in otherwise conflict-free countries might be even more dangerous.

Mexico, the leading destination for international tourists in Latin America in 2019 and 2020, has five entries in the list of the world’s ten deadliest cities in 2022. It was visited by 24 million people in 2020, far more than the number of arrivals recorded by the second country, Puerto Rico, which attracted only 2.5 million international tourists. Moreover, Mexico’s Tourism Ministry reported the arrival of nearly 10.27 million international tourists in the first half of 2022, an 83% compared to the same period last year and up 1.5% compared to pre-pandemic numbers in 2019. Yet, data published earlier this year by the World Population Review and analyzed by BonusInsider shows that Mexico is an extremely unsafe country both as a place to live in and a tourist destination. The Mexican city of Tijuana is named the world’s most dangerous city in 2022, with the highest murder rate per capita.

The latest ranking of the most dangerous cities in the world includes 50 cities, with all entries in the Top 10 being in Latin America. The list ranks the cities based on homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, a standard statistical measurement that is used to compare cities, nations, etc., with different population sizes.

These are the ten most dangerous cities in the world to live in (or visit, for that matter) in 2022 based on the most recent murder rates per 100,000 inhabitants.

President Michel Sleiman: Paying homage to his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and the important post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Medio Oriente that he presented. Remembering his visit to Lebanon in 2012 the faith, joy and hope that he has brought the Lebanese people.

Twitter is in breach of contract and owes $136,260 of rent on an office space, according to a lawsuit filed by a San Francisco landlord. The social media company has allegedly failed to pay rent on the building, located near its headquarters in the city, and was told in December that it would be breaching […]

by Katy Gillett — thenationalnews.com — While stars from the West headed to St Barts, Maldives and the Bahamas for New Year’s Eve, the Arab world’s celebrities spread out across the region to usher in 2023. Many performed concerts in major cities, while others spent it with loved ones or headed out to glamorous parties. Egyptian singer Amr Diab spent the evening tracking his new single’s success, as Emirati star Balqees Fathi appeared on Lebanese channel LBC International in a special episode with Rodolph Hilal. Here’s where the biggest regional names spent the last evening of 2022.

Dubai

Some of the most famous international stars performed on Saturday night in Dubai, from Kylie Minogue at Atlantis, The Palm to Armin van Buuren at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre. Taking in Enrique Iglesias’s gig at Nammos Dubai was Egyptian superstar Mohamed Ramadan, who partied the night away with friends at the beachside restaurant in Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. He’s starting the new year with a bang by also releasing a new single on Sunday.

Khor Fakkan

Also in the UAE were Emirati megastar Hussain Al Jassmi and Iraqi singer Aseel Hameem, who both put on a spectacular performance at the amphitheatre in Al Jassmi’s home town of Khor Fakkan, Sharjah. Al Jassmi is one of the Middle East’s top-selling artists. He released his first single Bawadaak in 2002, followed by Walla Ma Yeswa and Bassbor Al Fourgakom. However, it was 2014’s Egyptian shaabi tune Boshret Kheir that he is most known for. Hameem’s song Ser Al Hayat was the most streamed track by a female Arab artist on YouTube in 2020, now with more than 255 million views.

By Neeraj Dhankher — hindustantimes.com —

Aries: You may expect positive consequences in every area of your life. Your job will finally begin to meet all of your hopes. You will become financially secure and make no compromises in your efforts to do so. But you need to watch what you say and do, or you’ll only make things more tense for yourself. You will fill your partner’s life with joy. There is a good probability that you will be married this year if you are single. Students will be able to pursue higher education opportunities overseas.

Taurus: Your perseverance will be rewarded with several accomplishments. Some emotional stress at the start of the year might impair your judgement. You will get a chance to travel overseas and may be required to make extended business travels. There won’t be any money problems, but there may be some extra expenses. Avoid letting stress take over your life by taking care of your health. If single, you’ll meet interesting people and set the stage for tying the knot.

Gemini: All of the stumbling blocks in your life will vanish, ushering in a fresh start. Situations will improve for the better. The return of your previous investments will go well, strengthening your financial status. You will get opportunities for a new job. If working with the government, there can be a transfer. Long journeys are possible, as are overseas excursions. You’ll have a focused, open, and receptive mind for spiritual endeavours. There will be joy, serenity, and harmony in the home.

click read more for all signs 

by cnbc.com — Cheyenne DeVon — Billionaires have had a bad year. Globally, the world’s billionaires lost nearly $2 trillion, combined, in 2022, according to Forbes. The United States’ billionaires lost $660 billion collectively, the highest of any country by Forbes’s count, as tech stock prices took a nosedive fueled by rising interest rates, soaring inflation and a worsening economy. Of America’s billionaires, Tesla, SpaceX, and newly minted Twitter CEO Elon Musk saw his fortune diminish the most. Musk’s net worth dipped by about $115 billion this year, according to Forbes.

In October, when Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, he sold off about $23 billion in Tesla shares to fund the acquisition. He has since acknowledged this deal was an “obvious” overpayment. More recently, he confirmed his plans to step down as CEO of the social media platform once he finds a suitable replacement. Tesla’s stock price is down nearly 70% year-to-date, as of Dec. 27. Longtime Tesla investors are calling on its board of directors to get Musk to refocus on the electric vehicle company. Although Musk lost his spot as the richest person in the world this year, he’s still the wealthiest person in the United States, with a net worth of nearly $139 billion as of Dec. 27, according to Forbes. And while Musk is “the biggest loser of 2022,” according to that publication, he’s not the only billionaire whose net worth took a hit. Here’s how much five other U.S. billionaires lost in 2022 according to Forbes.

1. Jeff Bezos Title: Founder and chair, Amazon Estimated 2022 losses: -$80 billion Net worth: $106.8 billion as of Dec. 27

2. Mark Zuckerberg Title: Co-founder, Meta Platforms (Facebook’s parent company) Estimated 2022 losses: -$78 billion Net worth: $42.7 billion as of Dec. 27

3. Larry Page Title: Co-founder and board member, Google Estimated 2022 losses: -$40 billion Net worth: $76.8 billion as of Dec. 27

4. Phil Knight Title: Chair, Nike Estimated 2022 losses: -$18.3 billion Net worth: $45.2 billion as of Dec. 27

5. Leonard Lauder Title: Chair emeritus , The Estée Lauder Companies Estimated 2022 losses: -$9.8 billion Net worth: $22 billion as of Dec. 27

by catholicnewsagency.com — Joe Bukuras — Phoenix, Ariz. Dafne Gutierrez, of Phoenix, Arizona, will never forget the traumatic experience of gradually losing her vision. The 37-year-old mother of five was declared legally blind in 2014 after two years of gradual sight loss caused by chronic brain swelling. When she couldn’t see at all, she was devastated. Describing the experience of total blindness, she told CNA,”You don’t see anything. You just don’t.” “What hurt the most is that I had little ones, and I had to depend on them,” she told CNA in a Sept. 30 interview at St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church in Phoenix.

Gutierrez, who was not fully committed to her Catholic faith before losing her vision, soon found herself desperately seeking the restoration of her sight through healing Masses at several Catholic churches in the Phoenix area. None of those healing Masses brought her sight back, and she was losing hope. But her sister-in-law pushed Gutierrez to give it one more try: this time, at a Maronite Catholic church where a relic of the famous Lebanese hermit, St. Charbel Makhlouf, was on display for veneration. As a woman of Mexican descent, Gutierrez says she would never have thought of going to what is largely a Lebanese-populated church. But now, with her 20/20 vision restored, she knows why she was there.

Living life without sight

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Stray bullets injured three people in Beirut and Tripoli, and damaged two passenger jets at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport as the Lebanese welcomed the new year in traditional style with celebratory gunfire. Another man miraculously survived a random bullet that struck his phone while he was wheeling his baggage trolley out of the airport. With a single bullet costing up to $1, traditional celebrations proved expensive in a country ravaged by economic hardship and currency depreciation, but even the high cost of ammunition failed to dampen the new year festivities, with heavy gunfire heard in many Lebanese regions at midnight, including poor airport neighborhoods inhabited by people forced out of their rural homes. Stray gunshots caused minor damage to two Middle East Airlines Airbus A321Neo aircraft.

Security services earlier issued warnings against shooting near the airport, and erected checkpoints around its perimeter, as well as in areas where restaurants, cafes and bars are scattered. Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi oversaw the deployment of extra security patrols. He also visited checkpoints, and praised security forces for their efforts and sacrifices, especially amid the growing crises. Mawlawi asked security personnel to remain alert to protect tourists and Lebanese returning for family gatherings. “I urge you to maintain security and order, and enforce the law firmly without renouncing your humanity and the principle of human rights,” he said. In the lead-up to the celebrations, Mawlawi described “random shootings” as a crime and promised to carry out strict punishments. The Internal Security Forces directorate-general said that it is working to identify suspected shooters. A total of 116 people have been identified so far and now face arrest, it said.

by vaticannews.va — By Vatican News Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has returned to the Father’s House. The Holy See Press Office announced that the Pope Emeritus died at 9:34 AM on Saturday morning in his residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, which the 95-year-old Pope emeritus had chosen as his residence after resigning from the Petrine ministry in 2013. “With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 AM in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican. Further information will be provided as soon as possible. As of Monday morning, 2 January 2023, the body of the Pope Emeritus will be in Saint Peter’s Basilica so the faithful can pay their respects.”

News of worsening health condition

Already for several days, the health conditions of the Pope Emeritus had worsened due to advancing age, as the Press Office had reported in its updates of the evolving situation. Pope Francis himself publicly shared the news about his predecessor’s worsening health at the end of the last General Audience of the year, on 28 December. The Pope had invited people to pray for the Pope Emeritus, who was “very ill,” so that the Lord might console him and support him “in this witness of love for the Church until the end.” Following this invitation, prayer initiatives sprung up and multiplied on all continents, along with an outpouring of messages of solidarity and closeness from secular leaders.

Funeral plans

During a briefing at the Holy See Press office, the director, Matteo Bruni, told journalists that Pope Francis will preside over the funeral of the Pope Emeritus on 5 January at 9.30 CET in St. Peter’s Square. No tickets are foreseen for participation in the Mass. Bruni also said the Pope Emeritus on Wednesday 28th, in the afternoon, received the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick in the Mater Ecclesiae monastery at the end of Holy Mass. And speaking to reporters after the briefing he said Benedict specifically asked that everything – including the funeral – be marked by simplicity, just as he lived his life. A statement later in the day shed more light on details regarding the lying in state, the funeral ceremony and the burial. It noted that at the conclusion of the Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Holy Father, the Final Commendation and Valediction will take place. The Pope Emeritus‘ remains will then be taken into St. Peter’s Basilica and then to the Vatican Grottos where he will be laid to rest.

Lying in state

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s remains will rest at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery until the morning of Monday, 2 January; official visits or public prayers are not foreseen. From 9am on the same day, Benedict’s body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica so the faithful can pay their final respects. On Monday the Basilica will remain open from 9am to 7pm; on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7am to 7pm.

The Spiritual Testament of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI