Free Republic

A United States still deeply divided over Jan. 6 has hurt its standing overseas, tarnishing the reputation of a country that has long promoted democracy efforts abroad. The one-year anniversary of the Capitol riot marked not just a reflection point in the U.S., but also among allies and adversaries alike, who witnessed Democratic lawmakers largely gather on their own to remember a day when the democratic process in the United States came under a serious and violent challenge.

International opinions of the United States have become markedly more positive since President Biden took over from former President Trump, according to a new survey released as Biden prepares for his debut on the global stage at a Group of Seven (G7) summit. Of 12 nations surveyed by the Pew Research Center, a median 75 percent expressed confidence in Biden, more than four times the 17 percent who said the same of Trump in 2020. Twenty-two percent said they have no confidence in Biden, compared with 83 percent who said so of Trump at the end of his presidency. And...

ICE Air Operations, the air transportation arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has so far rescued 466 U.S. citizens stranded in the Northern Triangle region of Central America amid the coronavirus pandemic. Following orders of final removal, ICE deported Salvadoran and Honduran nationals back to their home countries on Friday. On the return leg of these flights, the agency took aboard U.S. citizens who were stranded due to COVID-19 lockdowns, according to an ICE press release. ICE on Friday flew home 130 U.S. citizens from Honduras via two different flights, and another 127 U.S. citizens from El Salvador —...

The violent aspect of the worrisome radicalization of the Turkish diaspora with a heavy dose of nationalist and Islamist ideology has been personally driven by President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, who publicly rewards mischief and unashamedly glorifies vigilante behavior among expatriate communities. As a result, the Turkish president is setting up a very dangerous path for many to follow on the violent trajectory while unleashing beasts to wreak havoc in host countries.Just this week, ErdoÄŸan personally called Turkish national Yusuf Ãœnsal, who was detained by German police for his interference in a protest in Stuttgart against the Turkish governmentÂ’s military offensive...

A new program, sponsored by the French embassy in the US, aims​ ​to​ ​open​ ​​the​ ​classic​ ​junior​-year​-abroad ​experience​ ​to students who​ ​don't typically​ ​find​ ​the​ ​means or​ ​programs​ ​to​ study ​internationally. PARIS —Daniela​ ​Markovic​ ​worked​ ​hard​ ​in​ ​high​ ​school​ ​with​ ​her​ ​sights​ ​on​ ​college – and possibly studying abroad.​ ​But​ ​when​ ​faced​ ​with​ ​economic​ ​reality,​ ​she opted​ ​for​ ​the​ ​honor’s​ ​program​ ​of​ ​her​ ​local​ ​community​ ​college​, ​and​ ​accepted​ ​that​ ​a two-week​ ​trip​ ​to​ ​Italy​ offered by the program ​would​ ​have​ ​to​ ​suffice​. “Whenever​ ​I​ ​saw​ ​all​ ​my​ ​friends​ ​going​ ​off​ ​to​ university,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​was​ ​stuck​ ​at​ ​home – ​you​...

President Trump is finally doing what he promised to do on the campaign trail. He is working with Putin’s Russia to solve the catastrophic Syrian civil war, striking a cease fire agreement and working together over pursuing separate goals. But there is one big story that surfaced on Wednesday that could prove monumental in the Middle East. I have written about the CIA’s role in the creation of ISIS and America’s creation of terrorist groups across the Middle East, a disgusting tactic sowing even more chaos throughout the region. In turn, Russia has armed the Taliban against American troops in...

In Europe, when it gets serious, you have to lie... at least if you are an unelected bureaucrat like Jean-Claude Juncker. In Russia, however, when it gets serious, attention immediately turns to the children. Which is why we read a report in Russian website Znak published Tuesday, according to which Russian state officials and government workers were told to bring back their children studying abroad immediately, even if means cutting their education short and not waiting until the end of the school year, and re-enroll them in Russian schools, with some concern. The article adds that if the parents of...

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry straddled the diplomatic boundary this weekend between presenting the best face of America and a misleading one. In a question-and-answer session with young Ethiopians on Sunday, Kerry exaggerated the U.S. record on climate change, appeared to conflate past U.S. policy on drones with President Barack Obama's new policy and gave an incomplete account of how he opposed the Iraq war. A day earlier, he struggled with economic data as well as the contents of his own department's terrorism blacklist. Here's a look at how some of his statements measured...

Just curious especially to hear from anyone else who’s planning to do this, about the best countries overseas to retire and work in. My wife and I have done pretty well with our import/export business, worked hard and saved up, and are starting to make retirement plans. We’re not much enthused about giving out our hard-earned and saved money, to support the spendthrift socialist incompetence and excesses of Obama and his successors. So we’re looking to retire abroad, and if possible to even continue some of the business overseas in a lower key, part time context. Our trading is mostly...

The State Department confirmed this morning that it’s reached a deal with the Chinese government in the case of blind dissident Chen Guangcheng: The Chinese Government stated today that Mr. Chen Guangcheng has the same right to travel abroad as any other citizen of China. Mr. Chen has been offered a fellowship from an American university, where he can be accompanied by his wife and two children. The Chinese Government has indicated that it will accept Mr. Chen’s applications for appropriate travel documents.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It was not just U.S. Democratic voters who were looking forward to "hope and change" when Barack Obama became the 44th U.S. president. Around the world, many anticipated the United States would behave very differently under the new leader. They wanted to hear less about Americans swaggering and throwing their weight around. Some, perhaps, wanted more talk of U.S.-style freedom and democracy, but not if it meant Washington imposing its will. ... A scandal over the hiring of prostitutes by the U.S. Secret Service in Colombia, killings and Koran burnings in Afghanistan and drone strikes in Pakistan...

A growing number of Americans is thinking about turning expat, according to a survey by America Wave and Zogby International. The share of Americans planning to relocate increased to 2.5 percent from 0.8 percent in 2009. If this number describes the entire population, that means around 6 million Americans are planning on leaving the country. America Wave's Bob Adams (a Business Insider contributor) found that single people, political conservatives and men were more likely to be in this group.

The Hamas terrorist rulers of Gaza have banned eight young academic scholars from leaving the region to further their studies abroad. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights condemned the move Wednesday, informing media that Hamas was refusing to allow the teens to leave Gaza. The ban came one day after the human rights organization issued a similar statement slamming a Hamas decision that mandates NGO (nongovernmental organizations) and human rights workers to apply for travel permits at least two weeks in advance of any plans to leave Gaza. Hamas has also become embroiled in a battle of wills with the...

A New York Times poll found that 45 percent of Republicans and 25 percent of all adults surveyed believe that President Barack Obama was born abroad. It’s question No. 72 on (Page 8 ) of the poll results. That’s an increase over a year ago, when 20 percent of adults surveyed thought Obama was not U.S. born.

Leader of diaspora group suspects alternative to Gaddafi may be worse. The leader of a Jewish Libyan Diaspora group warned on Monday that the death toll in the North African country may be much higher than reported. “I’m in touch with people in Benghazi especially, and the situation is worse than appears in the press and on TV,” Raphael Luzon, the chairman of the Jewish Libyan Diaspora in the UK, told The Jerusalem Post. “This is a big massacre and it’s even affected people who stayed home, who are now being hurt by use of heavy weapons.” Luzon, who was...

The Republicans Abroad Israel branch condemned the Haaretz newspaper on Tuesday for misleading readers by giving the impression that an overwhelming majority of Israelis saw US President Barack Obama as “fair and friendly” toward the country. Both the English and Hebrew editions of Friday’s Haaretz led with the headline “Poll: Most Israelis see Obama as fair, friendly toward Israel.” The English edition elaborated near a picture of Obama that “69% say Obama is fair and friendly.” The story itself gave no numbers but its lead said that “a sweeping majority of Israelis think his treatment of this country is friendly...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon for the first time will require military bases worldwide to offer emergency contraception or the so-called morning-after pill, a military spokeswoman said Thursday. The decision follows a recommendation by an independent panel of doctors and pharmacists in November, said Defense Department spokeswoman Cynthia Smith. The panel determined that emergency contraception should be added to the military's list of medications that must be stocked at each military facility.

IBM employees being laid off in North America now have an alternative to joining the growing ranks of the unemployed - work for the company abroad. Big Blue is offering its outgoing workers in the United States and Canada a chance to take an IBM job in India, Nigeria, Russia or other countries.

Election Day is just three short weeks away, yet sadly, the votes of many of our military men and women in uniform, who are serving overseas, will not be counted in this year's election. In 1952, President Harry Truman wrote to Congress saying, “At a time when these young people are defending our countryŠthe least we at home can do is to make sure that they are able to enjoy the rights they are being asked to fight to preserve.” Yet even today - over half a century later - the voting system for the members of our military men...

China looks abroad to grow its own food By Richard Spencer Last Updated: 2:31AM BST 10/05/2008 Chinese farming companies may be backed by the government to buy and lease tracts of land in Africa and Latin America to grow crops to feed its 1.3 billion people. A proposal before the state council, or cabinet, proposes extending a business strategy known as the "go-out policy" to farmland. As food prices rise, the Chinese government is anxious about food security, though it may not be willing to risk the accusation of colonialism that such a move would attract. The country has long...