EU EMPLOYERS CAN BAN VISIBLE RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS
Employers in European Union countries can ban employees from wearing visible symbols of religion such as Islamic headscarves and Christian crosses, a top European court ruled Tuesday.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) made the decision after two Muslim women in Belgium and France were fired for refusing to remove their headscarves and took their cases to court.
It was the ECJ’s first ruling on wearing Islamic headscarves, or hijabs, at workplaces. The court said it is up to employers to decide whether to ban the visible wearing of religious, political and philosophical symbols by their employees.
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FACES CHARGES IN FRANCE
French presidential candidate François Fillon was given preliminary charges Tuesday in an investigation of taxpayer-funded jobs his wife and children received but allegedly never performed.
The charges further damage the former prime minister’s chances at winning the tworound April 23-May 7 presidential election in which he once was viewed as the leading contender.
Investigating judges filed the charges Tuesday, Celine Clement-Petremann of the national financial prosecutor’s office said. It was a surprise move — Fillon had said the judges summoned him for Wednesday, but they apparently moved up the decision.
SOUTHWESTERN CITIES COULD HIT RECORD HIGHS THIS WEEK
While the eastern U.S. shivers under the effects of Winter Storm Stella and its frigid aftermath, the Southwest is in the grips of a March heat wave.
Cities such as Phoenix, Las Vegas and Palm Springs could all set record high temperatures this week, according to AccuWeather.
On Monday, the Phoenix area hit 90 degrees for the first time this year, the National Weather Service said, when the temperature shot up to 92. That’s more than two weeks ahead of the city’s normal first 90-degree reading.
Phoenix should see several days with highs in the lower to middle 90s this week.
Saturday is expected to be the warmest day of the week in Phoenix, the weather service predicted. Saturday’s forecast high temperature of 96 degrees in Phoenix would break the old record of 94.