International

Netanyahu rules out immunity law that affects ongoing probes

By TOI staff With coalition parties at odds over his party’s efforts to advance the so-called “French Law” granting serving prime ministers immunity from corruption investigations, Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he is “not interested” in legislation that could have an effect on a pair of investigations involving him. “Regarding the French Law, I am stating

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Middle East

Likud moves to stall all legislation as PM immunity bill hits roadblock

By TOI staff A ministerial panel to fast-track legislation through the Knesset will apparently not convene for the second week in a row Sunday, amid a rift between coalition parties over a bill that could grant the prime minister immunity from criminal prosecution. Coalition whip David Bitan said the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, chaired by

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Middle East

Sacked Catalan president calls for ‘democratic opposition’ to Madrid takeover

Sacked Catalan president Carles Puigdemont called Saturday for “democratic opposition” to Madrid’s takeover of the region following Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence a day earlier. “It’s very clear that the best form of defending the gains made up until now is democratic opposition to Article 155,” Puigdemont said in a brief televised statement. Article 155

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International

Taiwan holds Asia’s largest pride parade as it waits for gay marriage

A sea of rainbow flags and glitzy costumes filled downtown Taipei Saturday as tens of thousands marched in Asia’s largest gay pride parade, the first since Taiwan’s top court ruled in favour of gay marriage. The island looks set to become the first place in Asia to legalise gay marriage after the constitutional court said

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International

First criminal charges filed in Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation

A federal grand jury in Washington has reportedly approved the first criminal charges in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. CNN and Reuters reported that an indictment was approved Friday. The criminal charges are said to be filed under seal, so it is unclear who is the target

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USA

Trump plans to shrink two national monuments in Utah, senator says

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said President Donald Trump told him that he plans to shrink the boundaries of Bears Ear and Grand Staircase Escalante national monuments, the first hint of Trump’s plans under a review of national monuments established under Democratic administrations. Hatch said Trump assured him during a phone call Friday that he planned

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USA

Actress Annabella Sciorra accuses Weinstein of rape

Actress Annabella Sciorra has accused Harvey Weinstein of rape, detailing to The New Yorker Magazine her harrowing encounter with the now-disgraced movie mogul. She joins dozens of women who have already leveled allegations of sexual abuse against the 65-year-old Weinstein. Sciorra — who received an Emmy nomination for her role in the acclaimed television series

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Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Israeli Anthem and Flag Banned for Judo Gold Medalist

A champion Israeli judo fighter was forced to sing his own national anthem beneath an International Judo Federation (IJF) flag during an awards ceremony Thursday because of a ban on Israeli symbols at the sport’s Grand Slam competition in Abu Dhabi. Tal Flicker, who won gold in the men’s under-145lbs category, had to sing his

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International, Middle East, Sports & Competitions

Genealogy show unlocks Holocaust family tragedy for Scarlett Johansson

By TOI staff In the forthcoming episode of the PBS series “Finding Your Roots,” American Jewish actress Scarlett Johansson discovers the tragic fate of her relatives who died in the Holocaust. Johansson is overcome by emotion when she learns for the first time that her great uncle died in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi

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Jewish History, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Israel to postpone controversial ‘annexation’ bill: source

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to postpone a vote on a controversial bill that critics say would amount to the de facto annexation of Israeli settlements surrounding Jerusalem, an official said Saturday. The bill had been expected to be voted on by a ministerial committee on Sunday, in a move that would fast-track its

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Middle East, USA

Gal Gadot pulls out of event for Brett Ratner amid sexual harassment scandals

By TOI staff Israeli actress Gal Gadot withdrew from an awards dinner honoring director Brett Ratner amid growing scrutiny of sexual harassment in Hollywood following the allegations against producer Harvey Weinstein. Gadot was scheduled to present the Tree of Life award at event for Jewish National Fund on Sunday before deciding to cancel her appearance,

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Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

100 years on, international conferences debate Jewish role in Russian Revolution

By Julie Masis It is now 100 years since the revolution that brought down the Russian Tsar Nicholas II. For Jews, the fall of Tsarist Russia meant a new relative freedom: the end to the Pale of Settlement, which had prevented Jews from living in big cities, and the abolition of all other anti-Semitic laws,

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International, Jewish History