Free Republic

An industrial tribunal on Thursday hears the case of four Muslim former security guards at Orly airport who say they were discriminated against when sacked for refusing to shave off their beards in the wake of the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris. Soon after those jihadist attacks that left 130 dead, management from the Securitas security firm summoned several male staff members working for it at Orly, all of them Muslim and all of them bearded. They were told that with passengers on edge, it would be appreciated if they could all trim or shave off their beards to...

SNIP A Delta flight that was heading to Puerto Rico from JFK airport on Wednesday managed to outrun Hurricane Irma — flying directly into the path of the Category 5 storm as it was bearing down on the island — before landing and taking off within the span of an hour. The Boeing 737 was reportedly full of passengers after leaving the Big Apple at 8:12 a.m., according to FlightAware. The online tracking system showed Flight 431 arriving in San Juan at 12:01 p.m. — just as Irma was making landfall. SNIP

Everyone has memories they cherish from times when they were growing up. I have many memories, but none of them are as memorable as the ones I have of the Summer of “73”. That Summer holds some of the most cherished memories of my teen years. Not so much because of what I did that Summer, but more because of the woman I met who treated me like the son she never had. It was long before I gave my life to Christ, but a time that helped influence the Christian I would one day become. If for no...

France’s government has unveiled a law to ban all production and exploration of oil and natural gas by 2040 on the country’s mainland and overseas territories. The move is largely symbolic, however, as France’s oil and gas production represents just 1 percent of national consumption — the rest is imported. Current drilling permits will not be renewed, according to the bill formally presented in a Cabinet meeting Wednesday. France currently has 63 oil and gas drilling projects on its territory. The ban, which the government claims is a world first, is part of a larger plan to wean the country’s...

<p>Irma, a Category 5 hurricane, is currently making landfall in the Caribbean on the islands east of Puerto Rico, and, like they have with other storms, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has sent planes in to the storm’s eye. Things get intense. And by intense, I mean pants-shittingly terrifying.</p>

Sofia Zago died in Brescia on Sunday night, after being rushed to hospital with a high fever on Saturday. ... Sofia had been on holiday with her parents at Bibione, an Adriatic resort near Venice. ... Since the 1950s, Italy has not had a malaria problem because mosquito-infested marshes were drained. There is speculation that Sofia might have caught malaria from one of two children treated for it at the Trento hospital after 15 August. They had caught it in Africa, and recovered. Sofia had had treatment there for child diabetes and there was a break before her emergency readmission...

LAKE MEAD (FOX5) - A section of Interstate 11 opened Wednesday between the 95 and Railroad Pass Casino. But some drivers said they are having a hard time navigating it, thanks to a glitch from GPS technology. When a 2.5 mile stretch of I-11 opened, Apple and Google maps didn't register it. Instead, it caused a major glitch, and instead of routing people down the 95 toward Boulder City and Arizona, drivers were being redirected all the way through Lake Mead National Park. The route takes more time and also comes with a $20 toll. "I pulled over with all...

...Blaine Gibson, who has been gathering suspected MH370 debris as it washes up on Madagascar and Mozambique, said Mr Raza had been due to deliver new items to Malaysian investigators in Kuala Lumpur when he was unexpectedly slain. The timing has rattled Mr Gibson, who says he has been receiving death threats because of his self-financed mission to solve the baffling aviation mystery. He had planned to keep details of his latest finds — which included two items he considered particularly promising — under wraps until they had been safely transported off the island but changed his mind after Mr...

“The light passed about 100-200ft above their aircraft. They assumed it to be a drone and reported it to air traffic control. There was no time to take avoiding action,” said the report on the incident, which happened on May 26. ... In 2013 another A320 also had a narrow miss with an unidentified object over Glasgow. The A320 was flying with its landing lights on, in clear conditions and at an altitude of about 4,000ft above the Baillieston area of Glasgow, when the pilot and non-flying pilot saw an object “loom ahead” at a range of about 100m. The...

THESE ARE ACTUAL COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY “THOMAS COOK VACATIONS” FROM DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS: 1. “On my holiday to Goa in India, I was disgusted to find that almost every restaurant served curry. I don’t like spicy food.” 2. “They should not allow topless sunbathing on the beach. It was very distracting for my husband who just wanted to relax.” 3. “We went on holiday to Spain and had a problem with the taxi drivers as they were all Spanish.” 4. “We booked an excursion to a water park but no-one told us we had to bring our own swimsuits and towels....

Shortly after the Valenica park launches its year-round schedule Jan. 1, it aims to open the world’s tallest pendulum ride: a 172-foot-tall attraction called CraZanity. The giant swinging disc will hold 40 riders and will reach speeds of 75 miles per hour. ... The pendulum ride, which is designed to create the feeling of weightlessness at 17 stories off the ground, will join the lineup of 19 stomach-churning roller coasters and other attractions at the park. The new ride is scheduled to begin operating in late spring of 2018. ... The planned attraction would surpass the current record holder, a...

Survivor: Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers is the thirty-fifth season of Survivor (for those unfamiliar with the show, there are two seasons each year). It begins Wednesday, September 27, 2017 on CBS at 8/7c. References: Official Survivor site at CBSWikipedia article Survivor: Heroes v. Healers v. Hustlers: Jeff Probst gives intel on NEXT seasonSeason preview As with the last two seasons, this season will be held in the Mamanuca Islands, Fiji. It will consist of 18 new players divided into three tribes based on dominant perceived trait: "Heroes" (those who possess courage), "Healers" (those who help others) and "Hustlers" (those...

It has come to my attention that Hwy 45 north is closed. Also Hwy 59/69 North may be effected by spring creek. Can any Freepers verify the situations with these road systems, as they are effecting late evacuation orders (and Freepers). Also Bay City is under evacuation order as of tonight. If all the northern exits are closed, these people will have to be air lifted out. I am not there, please advise as you are able with real time updates. We have to help these people get out if possible. Regards! Founded

Over 15 hours of railroad travel compressed down to 7 minutes. Footage from various trips, on various trains, going in various directions. Clearly, I don't fly.

Nearly four years have passed since Angels Flight derailed on a trip down Bunker Hill, leaving a lone passenger shaken, but unhurt. Since then, the funicular’s twin cars — Sinai and Olivet — have perched unused on their steep, short track... The wait will end Thursday, when Angels Flight resumes shuttling passengers between Bunker Hill and Hill Street.

One woman for India don get permission from court to divorce her husband because im no gree build toilet for dem house.. The woman wey dey for her 20's don dey married to her husband for five years, but na for inside bush she dey poopoo. Indian law dey only allow divorce for limited circumstances like beating or wicked behaviour. The lawyer for di woman tell AFP news agency say the judge say to dey make di woman poopoo for outside na one form of torture. Times of India talk say di court say: "We dey spend money dey buy...

From the crescent bay and swaying palms, the taxi drivers of Acapulco need just 10 minutes to reach this other, plundered world. Here, in a neighborhood called Renacimiento, a pharmacy is smeared with gang graffiti. Market stalls are charred by fire. Taco stands and dentists’ offices, hair salons and auto-body workshops — all stand empty behind roll-down metal gates.

The State Department’s decision to warn residents about travel to the resort cities “is a reality check for the booming towns and economy of Mexico,” he said. Mexican officials have gone to lengths to portray the country’s beach resorts as family friendly and safe. Violent incidents “are extremely rare among the millions of international tourists who visit Riviera Maya each year, and the entire tourism industry works to ensure the safety and satisfaction of all visitors,” reads a statement on the website of the Assn. of Riviera Maya Hotels. But 10 years into the country’s military-led drug war, violence is...

The usual jovial nature of the hobos subsided Friday morning as more than 50 gathered to honor and remember their friends and family who have “caught the westbound.” Silently walking in a circle, hobos tapped their sticks on the gravestones of the deceased buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Britt, while Cannonball Paul read their names and others observed. “This is to my darling granddaughter Angelina,” said Minneapolis Jewel reading from a letter she wrote to her 16-year-old deceased granddaughter Angie Dirty Feet. “Just for the record you are and were loved by many. Take a look around here for yourself.”...

A Labour Party shadow minister has suggested that trains should have ‘women-only’ carriages to cut down on sex attacks on female commuters. Shadow Fire Minister Chris Williamson told website Politics Home that the move would create a “safe space” for women on public transport.