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☆ 6 ways to support Muslim coworkers who are fasting during Ramadan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Allana Akhtar | Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For many Muslims, Ramadan means abstaining from food and drink while at work. So, how can non-Muslim colleagues be supportive, while also not accidentally making a micro-aggression toward someone who is observing Ramadan? At one office where Nasr worked, a boss privately asked her if she needed any special accommodations while observing Ramadan. Most Muslims use the Arabic phrase "Ramadan Mubarak," which translates to "have a blessed Ramadan" or "happy Ramadan, to greet each other. Plus, there are many other reasons why Muslims don't fast, like during illness or travel.

☆ Chinese tourists are traveling again — but not the way they used to
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

That could mark a significant change in the international travel market, to which Chinese tourists are outsized contributors. In the first half of that year alone, their outbound travel spend surpassed $127.5 billion, a study from Chinese travel booking site Ctrip.com found. Chinese outbound travel is forecast to recover around two-thirds of its pre-pandemic levels in 2023. Leopatrizi | E+ | Getty ImagesBecause of those shortcomings, countries that can accommodate Chinese travelers' shifting needs have emerged as clear winners. Thailand, for instance, offers visas-on-arrival to fully vaccinated Chinese tourists who have travel insurance.

☆ Three Years Into Covid, We Still Don’t Know How to Talk About It
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jon Mooallem | Photographs Ashley Gilbertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +53 min

It will play out and reverberate for years or decades, Hagen told me. “The pathological normal,” Hagen calls it: a patchwork of homespun, bespoke realities, each one invested in a different story about what exactly happened when Covid ruptured the story of our lives. garb.”More than once, life seemed to be attaining “an uncanny resemblance to normal life,” as one man put it. But because we don’t totally understand where that experience has delivered us, we don’t know the right gloss to give it. “The days are strange,” one public-school teacher told Milstein toward the end of his first interview, in May 2020.

☆ From Beyoncé to Taylor Swift: 7 women who made history at the 2023 Grammys
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Morgan Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and more female artists broke records and saw historic wins across several categories at the 2023 Grammy Awards. The winners were announced on Sunday during two different ceremonies in Los Angeles, honoring the best music of the year across a wide range of genres. Here are seven women who made history with their wins at the 2023 Grammys:BeyoncéRobert Gauthier | Los Angeles Times | Getty ImagesBeyoncé is now the winningest artist in Grammys history thanks to a quartet of awards for her album "Renaissance." Viola DavisTimothy Norris | Filmmagic | Getty ImagesThe 57-year-old actress earned EGOT status at the 2023 Grammy Awards, making her the third Black woman in history to achieve the rare and coveted honor. Germaine FrancoJay L. Clendenin | Los Angeles Times | Getty ImagesGermaine Franco won best score soundtrack for visual media for composing the Disney animated film "Encanto."

☆ Pope says Church conservatives exploited death of ex-pope Benedict
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Pope Francis has said some in the conservative wing of the Roman Catholic Church had exploited the death of the former pope, Benedict, in an unethical way for their own gains. Francis used a Spanish expression "Cuento Chino", meaning tall tales, to describe allegations by some conservatives that Benedict was saddened by some of Francis' decisions after Benedict resigned in 2013. The pope said he often consulted Benedict in the nearly 10 years between his resignation in 2013 and his death. Francis did not name any of the conservatives he was referring to. Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, a conservative ally of Benedict who has criticised Francis, also wrote a book in January.

☆ At Sunday's Grammys, will Beyonce finally win top honor of best album?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Lisa Richwine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Singer Beyonce arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, U.S., August 28, 2016. Beyonce heads into the show in Los Angeles with nine nominations, including an album of the year nod for dance-heavy album "Renaissance." The acclaimed 2016 album "Lemonade" was defeated by Adele's "25," prompting the British vocalist to say on stage that Beyonce deserved the honor. Beyonce's other nominations include record and song of the year for "Break My Soul." Scheduled performers include Styles, Lizzo, Sam Smith, Luke Combs and Bad Bunny.

☆ Jump or be pushed: German conservatives turn on ex-Nazi hunter over race comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Once he was Germany's top Nazi hunter. Now the conservative opposition want to kick former domestic security chief Hans-Georg Maassen out of their party for allegedly repeating anti-Semitic and racist tropes. But the long-time member and one-time parliamentary candidate of former Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) lost that job after being accused of ignoring video evidence of far-right gangs chasing immigrants in riots. Maassen, who has always strongly denied charges of racism, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Under German party democracy laws introduced to prevent the re-emergence of dictatorial parties like Hitler's Nazis, expulsion can only follow a series of quasi-judicial hearings to establish whether a member is in conflict with the party's values.

☆ Vatican holds funeral for Cardinal George Pell who decried Pope Francis’ rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The Australian cardinal who decried the papacy of Pope Francis as a “catastrophe” was given a funeral Saturday in St. Peter’s Basilica, with the pontiff imparting a final blessing for the once high-ranking Vatican prelate. Cardinal George Pell, 81, died on Jan. 10, shortly after undergoing hip surgery in a Rome hospital. Pell later returned to his native Australia to be tried on child sex abuse charges over allegations that he molested two choirboys while he was archbishop of Melbourne. As is customary for funerals of cardinals, a final blessing, delivered in Latin, in the form a prayer for mercy and eternal rest, was recited by Pope Francis. Gaenswein unleashed a torrent of criticism of Francis in interviews hours after Benedict died in retirement at the Vatican on Dec. 31 and in a book published days later.

☆ Pope Francis meets Benedict's top aide as memoir rattles Vatican
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Pope Francis talks with Archbishop Georg Ganswein during the Wednesday general audience in Saint Peter's square at the Vatican, September 5, 2018. REUTERS/Max RossiVATICAN CITY, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Monday privately met Archbishop Georg Ganswein, former Pope Benedict's closest aide, who has rattled the Vatican with a book describing what he says were the strains while two men wearing white lived within its ancient walls. The Vatican's daily bulletin listed Ganswein in the pope's schedule of audiences but as is customary gave no details. Although Francis often compared having Benedict living in the Vatican to having a grandfather in the house, the book describes some tense situations. For the first seven years after Francis was elected pope, Ganswein kept his two jobs.

☆ Book by Benedict's top aide reveals tensions in Vatican
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Archbishop Georg Ganswein pays homage to former Pope Benedict in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, January 3, 2023. Ganswein says Benedict, in his annotated response to Francis, critiqued the way Francis had responded to questions on abortion and homosexuality. He also writes that Benedict felt Francis' decisions to restrict the use of the traditionalist Latin Mass was "a mistake". Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said he had no comment on the book, written with Italian journalist Saverio Gaeta and published by Piemme, an imprint of Mondadori. SERVING TWO MASTERSFor the first seven years after Francis was elected pope, Ganswein kept his two jobs - Prefect of the Pontifical Household and private secretary to the ex-pope.

☆ Guide to the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict on Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

VATICAN CITY, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis will preside at a funeral Mass in St. Peter's Square on Thursday for his predecessor former Pope Benedict, who died on Saturday at the age of 95. Here is a guide to what is expected to happen:END OF LYING IN STATESince Monday, the body of the Emeritus Pope has been lying in state in St. Peter's Basilica, where more than 160,000 people had filed past to pay their respects as of midday Wednesday. The funeral Mass presided over by Pope Francis is due to start at 9:30 a.m. (0830 GMT). At the end of the Mass, Francis will recite "The Final Commendation and Farewell" asking God to "console the Church". Near the end of the Mass, Francis will sprinkle holy water on the coffin and incense it.

☆ Thousands pay homage as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI lies in state
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Faithful and curious, the public strode briskly up the center aisle to pass by the bier after waiting in a line that by midmorning snaked around St. Peter’s Square. Filippo Tuccio, 35, came from Venice on an overnight train to view Benedict’s body. “I wanted to pay homage to Benedict because he had a key role in my life and my education. This is why I wanted to say goodbye today.”Public viewing lasts for 10 hours on Monday in St. Peter’s Basilica. Twelve hours of viewing are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday before Thursday morning’s funeral, which will be led by Pope Francis, at St. Peter’s Square.

☆ Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI dies at 95
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Corky Siemaszko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican," the statement said. Benedict was the longest-living pope, having surpassed Pope Leo XIII in September 2020. "We must think about what Pope Benedict said — 'It's the epoch of sin against God the Creator,'" Francis said at a gathering of Polish bishops. Unlike most priests, Benedict logged little time in parishes. In 2005, his first year as pope, he was accused in a lawsuit of having personally covered up a priest's abuse of three boys in Texas.

☆ Two popes in the Vatican - sometimes more crowd than company
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Pope Francis later removed him from a top job in the Vatican. "In the Catholic Church, symbols are important," said Father Tom Reese, a Washington-based Catholic author and commentator for Religion News Service. Reese, a Church liberal, found agreement from an unusual source - conservative Australian Cardinal George Pell, a former Vatican treasurer and close associate of Benedict in his retirement. Reese and others have suggested that a former pontiff be called "bishop emeritus of Rome" and be subject to the rules that cover retired bishops. He has said he would want to be called Bishop Emeritus of Rome and live not in the Vatican but in a home for retired priests in the Italian capital "because its my diocese".

☆ Former Pope Benedict was first pontiff to resign in 600 years
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

[1/3] Pope Benedict XVI blesses a baby as he rides around St Peter's Square to hold his last general audience at the Vatican February 27, 2013. REUTERS/Max Rossi/File PhotoVATICAN CITY, Dec 31 - Former Pope Benedict, who died on Saturday aged 95, was the first pontiff in 600 years to resign, leaving behind a Catholic Church battered by sexual abuse scandals, mired in mismanagement and polarised between conservatives and progressives. Benedict, the first German pope in 1,000 years, had good relations with his successor, Pope Francis, but his continued presence inside the Vatican after he stepped down in 2013 further polarised the Church ideologically. Although he said he would remain "hidden from the world", Benedict did not live up to that promise and in retirement sometimes caused controversy and confusion through his writings. Ganswein's role as a middleman between Benedict and the cardinal was unclear, with many believing he had misled Benedict, the cardinal, or both.

☆ Pope Emeritus Benedict in stable condition and participates in Mass
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

“At present his condition is stationary.”On Wednesday, Pope Francis revealed that his 95-year-old predecessor was “very ill” and he went to see him in his home in the Vatican Gardens. Francis called for prayers for Benedict, resulting in an outpouring of messages of solidarity from rank-and-file Catholics and cardinals alike. On Friday evening, the cardinal vicar of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, celebrated a special Mass for Benedict in St. John in Lateran Basilica. Referring to Benedict’s nearly 10 years in retirement from the papacy, De Donatis said that the pope emeritus “even in old age, and in illness, continues to sustain humanity totally offering oneself.”The pope emeritus was “in profound communion with Pope Francis,” the cardinal said. At the end of Mass, De Donatis said the faithful were entrusting “our Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to the maternal care” of Jesus’ mother, “because she has promised to be near to her children in the moment of trial.”

☆ Former pope Benedict, his papacy and retirement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

VATICAN CITY, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Former pope Benedict, who Pope Francis said on Wednesday was "very sick", resigned in 2013, the first pontiff in 600 years to take such a step rather than rule for life. Days later, Benedict says he was "deeply sorry" about Muslim reaction to his speech, which he says was misunderstood. Former Pope Benedict traveled to his native Germany last week to visit his ailing older brother. Benedict later pardoned Gabriele and the Vatican later found him a job in a hospital. Benedict pope later acknowledges errors occurred and asks for forgiveness.

☆ Yes, electric vehicles are greener than gas cars — even when they use dirty power
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There's a persistent myth that electric vehicles are somehow worse for the planet than regular cars. But building an EV creates more planet-warming emissions than making a gas vehicle. But mining the necessary cobalt, refining the lithium, and packaging it all into little cells that fit neatly in a larger pack creates significant greenhouse gas emissions. But zooming in on specific regions reveals how vastly EV emissions vary across the country. Electric cars that hit American roads in 2030 could have a 76% greener lifespan than gas counterparts if the US builds an electrical grid in line with the Paris Agreement's goals, according to the ICCT.

☆ Europe moves closer on limiting natural gas prices as Brussels looks to protect consumers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The EU is nearing a deal over a cap on gas prices. Helder Faria | Moment | Getty ImagesThe European Union is nearing an agreement over a cap on natural gas prices, with Brussels already starting preparations for the next winter as the global energy crisis shows no signs of going away. EU energy ministers gathered in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday to discuss the details over a cap on natural gas prices. Officials have suggested that the cap could land between 180 euros and 220 euros per megawatt hour. This as the International Energy Agency warns there could be a gas shortage of 30 billion cubic meters in 2023.

☆ More arrests expected in German coup plot in coming days, say authorities
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Police escorts a person after 25 suspected members and supporters of a far-right group were detained during raids across Germany, in Karlsruhe, Germany December 7, 2022. REUTERS/Heiko BeckerBERLIN, Dec 8 (Reuters) - German authorities expect further arrests and raids in the coming days in connection with a far-right group that prosecutors say were preparing a violent overthrow of the state to install a former member of a German royal family as national leader. "Based on my experience, there is usually a second wave of arrests," Georg Maier, the interior minister of the eastern German state of Thuringia, told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk on Thursday. Twenty-five members and supporters of the group were detained on Wednesday in raids involving some 3,000 security personnel that Maier described as unprecedented in modern German history. Reporting by Miranda Murray, editing by Kirsti Knolle and Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden's climate plan strains trade ties with Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The European Union and United States — together responsible for one third of global trade — have been at loggerheads in recent weeks over US President Joe Biden’s landmark $370 billion climate plan. While a trade war is unlikely, the plan is testing the transatlantic alliance and pushing Europe to consider mobilizing its own package of subsidies. The IRA is now law, and there is little appetite to bring it back to Congress to make substantive changes, he told CNN Business. The European Union has a couple of options at its disposal, analysts told CNN Business. On Monday, Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said that the bloc should create its own “European IRA plan,” according to a Reuters report.

☆ Women priests, homosexuality, not closed debate in Church, German bishop says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY, Nov 19 (Reuters) - A leading German Catholic bishop on Saturday contested the Vatican's view that debates about women priests and homosexuality were closed, saying they will have to be confronted in the future. "As far as the ordination of women is concerned, for example, (the Vatican's) view is very clear, that the question is closed. The Catholic Church teaches that women cannot be priests because Jesus chose only men as his apostles and that while same-sex attraction is not sinful, homosexual acts are. "Popes have tried to say the question (of women priests) is closed but the fact is that the question exists. Many young women say 'a church that refuses all of this cannot be my church in the long run,'" he said.

☆ BDT Capital Partners takes minority stake in German chip plant builder Exyte
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Hadeel Al Sayegh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 16 (Reuters) - German chip factory builder Exyte said on Wednesday that U.S. investor BDT Capital Partners was acquiring a minority stake in the Stuttgart-based based company. BDT will become a minority Exyte shareholder alongside Georg Stumpf, Exyte's current sole owner, who will retain a majority stake, Exyte said in a statement. Financial sources said BDT was taking a stake of about one third in Exyte. Buechele said in the statement that Exyte would exceed its forecasts this year with targeted sales of around 7 billion euros ($7.28 billion), putting it closer to its goal of reaching 10 billion euros in sales in 2027. "I am pleased that BDT is convinced of Exyte's potential and prospects and will accompany us on our journey."

☆ 2023 Grammys: Beyoncé and Jay-Z are tied for the most noms of all time
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The nominees for the 2023 GRAMMY Awards were released Tuesday, and Beyoncé is leading the pack with nine nominations. Beyoncé has already won 28 Grammys, the most by any female artist, and is within striking distance of the all-time record of 31, which is held by the Hungarian conductor Georg Solti. Her 88 overall nominations have tied her with husband Jay-Z for the most in history. Pop superstar Harry Styles received six nominations, including the 28-year-old's first for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year for 2022's "Harry's House". Read the full list of GRAMMY nominees here.

☆ Beyoncé and Jay-Z now tied for most Grammy nominations
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

On Tuesday, Beyoncé tied her husband Jay-Z as the artist with the most career Grammy nominations. Going into Tuesday, the rapper topped the list of all-time Grammy nominations with 83, followed by Sir Paul McCartney with 81, Quincy Jones with 80 and Beyoncé with 79. The superstar also made first-time appearances in a few categories, with “Break My Soul” and “Renaissance” helping her earn her first nominations in the best dance/electronic recording and best dance/electronic music album categories, respectively. With 28 wins to date, Beyoncé is the most-awarded female artist in Grammys history. Should she win four out of the nine she’s nominated for, she will become the most awarded artist of all time, surpassing conductor Sir Georg Solti, who has won 31.

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