Holy Moses! Sacred Mount Sinai site in Egypt getting lux hotels, shopping

EGYPT 

The sacred area around Mount Sinai, where Moses is believed to have been given the Ten Commandments, is being turned into luxury hotels, villas and shopping areas, concerning the traditional Bedouin community that inhabits the area. At the foot of the famous mountain is the 6th century St. Catherine’s Monastery, which, coupled with the summit, is a Unesco World Heritage site.

MEXICO

Box and suite holders at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium will be able to attend five 2026 World Cup matches for free as per an agreement with FIFA. The ruling follows a 2024 legal dispute that started because owners thought they’d be prohibited from using their seats at the stadium — also known as Estadio Banorte — during the games, which will begin in June next year.

ISRAEL

The oldest organ in the Christian world went 800 years without being played. The 11th century instrument, brought from France to Jerusalem during the Crusades, was discovered in 1906 in Bethlehem and recently underwent a restoration. It is now being played in the Monastery of St. Saviour in Jerusalem’s Old City and is scheduled to be displayed in a museum there.

JAPAN

Pizza Hut Japan added a new green tea flavor to its line of Handy Melts triangular folded slices. The company partnered with a matcha producer in Kyoto and is now mixing green tea powder from matcha into its pizza dough. 

FIJI

Ant populations native to Fiji have declined at 79%, furthering evidence of a global “insect apocalypse,” according to a new study. The decrease coincided with when humans began inhabiting the islands 3,000 years ago and has accelerated in the past 300 years. “Ants are part of ‘little things that run the world’ and are critical for maintaining healthy ecosystems,” said ANU Professor Alexander Mikheyev, author of the study.