International

Incidents of severe disturbances on commercial flights climb

Fewer passengers became unruly on commercial flights last year but more of those incidents involved serious behavior problems such as fighting or threatening passengers and crew members, an airline trade group said. The International Air Transport Association categorizes the incidents on a scale of 1 to 4, ranging in severity from a passenger who does

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Travel and Food, USA

Saad Hariri, Lebanon PM, back in power as U.S. and others rally against Hezbollah

World leaders rallied Friday behind Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, seeking to re-legitimize him on the international stage days after he rescinded what had been a shock resignation from office last month. The five permanent U.N. Security Council nations – Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S. – voiced support for Mr. Hariri at a

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Middle East

Is Reform Judaism forgetting its Zionism?

Gil Troy The Union for Reform Judaism is holding its Biennial in Boston this week. I know nothing about their governance procedures, but hope they pass — by acclamation — a resolution supporting President Donald Trump’s move recognizing “Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.” The resolution should affirm: Such a resolution, even if accompanied by

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Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA

Hardliners look to leverage Trump shift on Jerusalem to Iran’s advantage

The anger and frustration in the Arab world, sparked by Washington’s controversial policy shift on Jerusalem’s status as the capital of Israel, could be a boon for Iranian-backed efforts to undermine the Jewish state and foment international support for Palestine. Tehran along with Lebanese proxy Hezbollah and Hamas, the Palestinian terror group backed by Iran,

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Middle East, USA

Muslims pray outside White House to protest Trump Jerusalem move

Hundreds of Muslims attended Friday prayers in front of the White House to protest President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Responding to the call of American Muslim organizations, worshippers laid out their prayer mats at a park in front of the president’s residence. Wearing traditional Palestinian keffiyeh scarves or

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Middle East, USA

Motion picture academy outlines new standards of conduct for the post-Weinstein era

As this year’s Oscar season heats up, along with the usual questions about who’s up and who’s down in the Academy Awards horse race, there are likely to be other, thornier questions lingering in the air at cocktail parties and on red carpets. Since its founding 90 years ago, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Saudi Arabia Allows First Public Concert by a Woman

Lebanese singer Hiba Tawaji made history by becoming the first female musician to perform a public concert in Saudi Arabia. Thousands of young women attended the sold-out event on Wednesday, stripping off their abayas—the floor-length robes women in Saudi Arabia are obligated to wear in public—shaking out their hair and dancing to covers of songs

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Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Trent Franks resigns immediately in latest Capitol Hill sex harassment scandal

Rep. Trent Franks, the latest casualty of sexual harassment scandals on Capitol Hill, has moved up his resignation date to effective Friday. “Last night, my wife was admitted to the hospital in Washington, D.C. due to an ongoing ailment,” he said in a statement released Friday. “After discussing options with my family, we came to

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USA