| UN accolades pour in after passing of Russia’s Vitaly Churkin. Who was he? Posted: 21 Feb 2017 03:14 PM PST ![UN accolades pour in after passing of Russia's Vitaly Churkin. Who was he?]( "UN accolades pour in after passing of Russia's Vitaly Churkin. Who was he?") Diplomats from around the world shared tributes to Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations and the longest-serving member of the Security Council, after news of his sudden death in New York on Monday. Recommended: Sochi, Soviets, and czars: How much do you know about Russia?
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| What does Trump's claim about migrant crime tell us about Sweden? Posted: 21 Feb 2017 03:05 PM PST ![What does Trump's claim about migrant crime tell us about Sweden?]( "What does Trump's claim about migrant crime tell us about Sweden?") Swedish authorities probably don't hold their breath for a mention from President Trump every time he approaches a platform. Last Saturday night, at a rally in Florida, they got an unpleasant surprise. Sweden's refugee commitment, which saw the country take in about 160,000 foreigners in 2015, was causing "problems like they never thought possible," claimed Mr. Trump.
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| Study links same-sex marriage laws and decline in teen suicide attempts: What next? Posted: 21 Feb 2017 03:01 PM PST ![Study links same-sex marriage laws and decline in teen suicide attempts: What next?]( "Study links same-sex marriage laws and decline in teen suicide attempts: What next?") Teen suicide attempts are a persistent challenge. In a study published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, researchers from Harvard and Johns Hopkins looked at the correlation between student-reported suicide attempts and state policies in the 16 years before June 2015, when the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality nationwide. Drawing on a health survey database of almost 763,000 students, they observed a 7 percent decline in teenagers' efforts to take their own lives in the year after their states legalized marriage equality, a figure that increased to 14 percent among teens who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. "It's not easy to be an adolescent, and for adolescents who are just realizing they are sexual minorities, it can be even harder," said lead study author Julia Raifman, a post-doctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, in a news release.
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| In the most populous Muslim nation, a test of tolerance Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:49 PM PST ![In the most populous Muslim nation, a test of tolerance]( "In the most populous Muslim nation, a test of tolerance") Last year, British voters in London elected a Muslim as mayor. A good example is happening in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation and its third-largest democracy. On Feb. 15, in a three-way race for the governorship of the capital, Jakarta, the Christian incumbent – who faces blasphemy charges for allegedly making a negative comment about the Quran – won the most votes (43 percent) against two rivals who ran on their Muslim faith.
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| Why the Supreme Court rejected a death penalty appeal Posted: 21 Feb 2017 01:44 PM PST ![Why the Supreme Court rejected a death penalty appeal]( "Why the Supreme Court rejected a death penalty appeal") The Supreme Court declined on Tuesday to hear a death row inmate's challenge to Alabama's lethal injection method, freeing the state to try for the eighth time to carry out the planned execution of Thomas Douglas Arthur. "He has amassed significant evidence that Alabama's current lethal junction protocol will result in intolerable and needless agony," she wrote, referring to Arthur's argument that the lethal injection method violated the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Recommended: How much do you know about landmark Supreme Court decisions?
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| Does more homework make for a smarter kid? In Spain, many have doubts. Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:22 AM PST ![Does more homework make for a smarter kid? In Spain, many have doubts.]( "Does more homework make for a smarter kid? In Spain, many have doubts.") The fourth-graders in Miren Artetxe's classroom have sat through an intensive morning of math tables, reading comprehension, and videos about bullying. "They've worked hard enough," says Ms. Artetxe, surveying her empty classroom at a public elementary school in this tiny Basque town in northern Spain. Recommended: Test your Iberia IQ: How much do you know about Spain and Portugal?
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| How Trump is challenging the media to redefine its role Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:03 AM PST ![How Trump is challenging the media to redefine its role]( "How Trump is challenging the media to redefine its role") For Mr. Trump, the use of such inflammatory language is clearly metaphorical. Recommended: In Pictures Voices from across political party lines: What can be done to heal America? "In fact, contrary to the prevailing orthodoxy, Donald Trump is not the man who will kill the mainstream media.
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| As anti-Semitic threats increase, Trump (finally) speaks out Posted: 21 Feb 2017 11:02 AM PST ![As anti-Semitic threats increase, Trump (finally) speaks out]( "As anti-Semitic threats increase, Trump (finally) speaks out") For his first time as president, Donald Trump has condemned waves of anti-Semitic incidents that have targeted a Jewish cemetery, community centers, and other religious institutions since he took office on Jan. 20. Mr. Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and a White House spokesman had already denounced the incidents on Twitter, but neither used the terms anti-Semitism or Jewish in their tweets.
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| Marine Le Pen makes headlines by refusing to don veil for a meeting Posted: 21 Feb 2017 09:52 AM PST ![Marine Le Pen makes headlines by refusing to don veil for a meeting]( "Marine Le Pen makes headlines by refusing to don veil for a meeting") Related stories Sunni and Shiite Islam: Do you know the difference? Take our quiz. Marine Le Pen is latest French politician embroiled in fraud allegations. First LookFar-right populist Marine Le Pen formally launches bid to make France great again
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| UN says 1.4 million African children at risk in famine: Why there’s still hope Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:58 AM PST ![UN says 1.4 million African children at risk in famine: Why there's still hope]( "UN says 1.4 million African children at risk in famine: Why there's still hope") Nearly 1.4 million African children are at "imminent risk" of death due to famine in four countries, according to the United Nations International Children's Fund. UNICEF's announcement on Tuesday comes one day after famine was formally declared in parts of South Sudan, where 270,000 children are severely malnourished. "Time is running out for more than a million children," UNICEF executive director Anthony Lake said in statement.
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| Israeli soldier sentenced for killing Palestinian attacker: too lenient or too severe? Posted: 21 Feb 2017 08:21 AM PST ![Israeli soldier sentenced for killing Palestinian attacker: too lenient or too severe?]( "Israeli soldier sentenced for killing Palestinian attacker: too lenient or too severe?") As an Israeli military judge sentenced a 21-year-old soldier on Tuesday to 18 months in prison for killing a wounded Palestinian assailant in the West Bank last year, a small but noisy crowd of protesters gathered outside the court in Tel Aviv. While the demonstration was smaller than during past court proceedings, the protesters represent a significant portion of the Israeli public that supports the actions of Mr. Azaria, insisting he is a national hero, not a murderer. Recommended: How much do you know about the Palestinians?
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| Supreme Court will hear case on border shooting of Mexican national Posted: 21 Feb 2017 07:55 AM PST ![Supreme Court will hear case on border shooting of Mexican national]( "Supreme Court will hear case on border shooting of Mexican national") The Supreme Court will hear a case Tuesday surrounding the fatal shooting of an unarmed 15-year-old Mexican boy by a US border patrol agent in 2010, determining what constitutional protections foreigners can receive outside of the United States. Sergio Hernandez's family has sued the border official who shot their son, arguing that the teen's constitutional rights were violated in the incident. Cell phone video of the incident shows that the agent fired his weapon from the US side of the border as the boy hid behind a pillar on the Mexican side.
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| L.A. has the world's worst traffic. How do we fix it? Posted: 21 Feb 2017 07:33 AM PST ![L.A. has the world's worst traffic. How do we fix it?]( "L.A. has the world's worst traffic. How do we fix it?") If you're a commuter in Los Angeles, the most likely answer is "not yet," according to transportation analytics researcher INRIX. When it comes to the sheer volume of time wasted in slow-moving traffic, L.A. tops INRIX's recently released list of over 1,000 international cities, with 104 hours per driver. New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Miami join it in the top ten, giving the United States the dubious honor of having the worst traffic among rich developed countries.
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| On George Washington's birthday, thousands turn out for 'Not My President' Day Posted: 21 Feb 2017 07:16 AM PST ![On George Washington's birthday, thousands turn out for 'Not My President' Day]( "On George Washington's birthday, thousands turn out for 'Not My President' Day") President's Day was originally established on George Washington's birthday to honor the first president. The protesters took to the streets concerned about a broad range of issues, from the president's immigration policies, to his treatment of the press, to his rhetoric some said reminded them of authoritarian regimes or fascism. Recommended: What do you know about Donald Trump?
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| North Korea: weighing ripple effects of the murder of Kim Jong-un's half brother Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:58 AM PST ![North Korea: weighing ripple effects of the murder of Kim Jong-un's half brother]( "North Korea: weighing ripple effects of the murder of Kim Jong-un's half brother") The killing last week of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has fueled growing concerns about the country's rogue regime. Two women are suspected to have killed Kim Jong-nam by wiping a poison-tinged cloth on his face as he was waiting to board a flight in Malaysia. Malaysian authorities have so far arrested four suspects in the case and are hunting for four North Koreans who fled the country on the day of the attack and three others.
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| H.R. McMaster: Did Trump make a good choice for national security adviser? Posted: 21 Feb 2017 06:31 AM PST ![H.R. McMaster: Did Trump make a good choice for national security adviser?]( "H.R. McMaster: Did Trump make a good choice for national security adviser?") President Trump has selected Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, a respected military strategist who has been known to sharply criticize leadership and ineffective tactics, to serve as his national security adviser. Gen. McMaster will replace Michael Flynn, who resigned from the position last week after it became clear that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the details of conversations he had with the Russian ambassador prior to Mr. Trump taking office. Unlike Mr. Flynn, and many others selected to serve the administration, McMaster did not play a role in Trump's presidential campaign.
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| Provacateur invited to conservative summit, then disinvited Posted: 20 Feb 2017 03:15 PM PST ![Provacateur invited to conservative summit, then disinvited]( "Provacateur invited to conservative summit, then disinvited") Some speech can be too provocative for conservatives, too. At least that's one way to read the message of an explosive online backlash that erupted over the weekend, prompting the American Conservative Union to disinvite Milo Yiannopoulos, the controversial senior editor at the conservative publication Breitbart, from speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this week. Mr. Yiannopoulos is a divisive figure who has railed against free-speech infringements on college campuses and has sought to expose what he calls liberal political correctness run amok – a primary reason for his initial invitation to speak, according to ACU chair Matt Schlapp.
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