Free Republic

A 29-year-old Afghan migrant has been sentenced to six years in prison for stabbing a 27-year-old teacher at random on the street, in the middle of the day, in the German city of Kirchheim unter Teck. However, despite stabbing his victim four times in the back and twice in the thigh, the fact that the Afghan stopped stabbing her once she screamed was enough to convince the court in Stuttgart to drop the attempted murder charge. Based on the fact that he stopped stabbing her and ran away, the court claimed this was a “withdrawal from attempted murder,” The Afghan...

An Airbnb customer overstayed her reservation and is now refusing to leave the rented property by claiming she has tenant's rights. Alleged squatter Shadija Romero reserved Rochanne Douglas's short-term rental in Washington DC for 32 days, ending on March 29 this year. Romero failed to leave the home and began claiming residency after just 30 days, according to court filings obtained by the Daily Mail. She is still residing at the property more than 10 months later. The accused squatter allegedly tried to place utilities in her name and has tampered with security cameras. She removed Douglas's personal property from...

A woman is accused of drowning her six-year-old niece during a wedding celebration because the child “looked prettier than her.” The woman, who goes by Poonam, reportedly drowned her young relative in a tub of water after her family gathered for a ceremony in Panipat, northern India, on Monday. The girl, named Vidhi, had attended the wedding with her father, mother, 10-month-old brother and her grandmother

He has a 1,300-acre estate and a nine-month supply of frozen sperm — now he just needs a “good breeder.” Sir Benjamin Slade, 79, of Britain has made Tinder accounts, taken out newspaper ads and starred in a TV series all in an effort to find a wife to produce an heir — and a spare — for his multimillion-dollar fortune. SNIP Scorpios, Guardian news-outlet readers and people from countries beginning with the letter ‘I’ or with green in the flag need not apply, Sir Benjamin said.

Dublin councilors halted plans to rename a park currently honoring a past Israeli president that had drawn criticism from the Irish and Israeli governments, the city council said on Sunday. The park, located near Dublin’s sole Jewish school, is named after Ireland-born Chaim Herzog, Israel’s sixth president. Ireland, home to about 3,000 Jewish people, has been among the most outspoken critics of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, and the move to rename “Herzog Park” followed a campaign by anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian activists, but official council documents did not disclose a reason for the proposal. The proposal had been scheduled for...

Last Tuesday, the European Union’s top court ordered Poland to recognize the marriage of a same-sex couple who had wed in Germany. In delivering its verdict, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) kept the language broad, referring to the obligation of “a member state” to recognize same-sex marriages registered in other EU member states. It means that a Czech, Romanian or Bulgarian court — or any other EU member state where same-sex marriage is not recognized — will now have to take the verdict into consideration if a similar case arises in their jurisdiction. The case in...

The inventor of iconic classic children's toys like Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Lite-Brite and Mouse Trap has died at 99 years old. Burt Meyer, who invented the popular games and gadgets in the 1960s, passed away on October 30, according to Rebecca Mathis, the executive director of the retirement community in Illinois where he lived. Born in Illinois in 1926, he enlisted in the Navy and served for two years as an aircraft mechanic before his toy making career. Meyer's many inventions were born during his time working at a Chicago toy studio called Marvin Glass & Associates. The...

This is why we have trust issues.If you’ve spent any time watching Catfish on MTV, you’re probably familiar with the risks of online dating. People posing as someone they’re not is something all singles need to watch out for as they swipe on apps. But apparently there’s a chance you might not be catfished by another person at all—you might be getting scammed by a restaurant. A trend is emerging where restaurants are posing as eligible singles on dating apps to lure users to dine at their establishment. The scam has been dubbed “food digging,” derived from the term “gold...

A drug-resistant 'super fungus' that targets the groin and bum is spreading rapidly across Britain. Cases of trichophyton indotineae - which triggers unsightly, stubborn skin lesions all over the body - are now rocketing in the UK, despite being virtually unknown just a few years ago. Cases have surged by 500% in the past three years, with one fungus expert describing it as "a really big problem". The infection is triggered by a highly contagious fungus and is typically caught through direct skin contact with somebody who's infected. However it can also be transmitted via contaminated surfaces, household objects or...

EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner has said Ireland is “very well” placed to adopt the Migration and Asylum Pact, and described the Citywest accommodation center for International Protection applicants as an example of “best practice”. He was speaking in Dublin after visiting Citywest, holding meetings with senior gardaí and the head of the Criminal Assets Bureau, as well as speaking to Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan. The Migration and Asylum Pact becomes operational this June and seeks to introduce a more harmonized approach to asylum, migration and border checks, with swifter screening, mandatory health and security checks and a streamlined...

This is a video I've wanted to make for many years. I've always liked this song, but no one ever created a half-decent edit with it.

Elon Musk’s AI assistant Grok boasted on Thursday that the billionaire had the “potential to drink piss better than any human in history,” among other absurd claims championing its creator. After the AI assistant praised Musk’s physique and claimed he ranked “among the top 10 minds in history, rivaling polymaths like da Vinci or Newton,” social media users quickly discovered that Grok was programmed to say positive things about Musk, no matter the topic. But according to 404 Media, in a series of deleted X posts, Grok boasted that Musk had the “potential to drink piss better than any human...

American troops pulled up on a Mexican beach in a dramatic escalation of tensions after Donald Trump threatened to bomb the country. US 'contractors' arrived by boat on Monday at Playa Bagdad, driving signs into the sand near where the Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Alarmed witnesses quickly alerted officials and heavily armed Mexican security personnel rushed to the scene on trucks mounted with machine guns in a terrifying standoff. Written in English and Spanish, they claimed that the beach was the property of the US Department of Defense and had been declared restricted by 'the commander.'...

Former President George W. Bush and his family are reportedly planning to retake the Republican Party from President Donald Trump once he is out of office, according to a recent report. There are allegedly “rumors” stirring that there is a “plot to end the so-called ‘Bush Exile'” as part of an effort to take control of the GOP from Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) policies […] One person, who is described as a “former Bush official,” told the outlet that Trump “knows that there’s no third term option,” while admitting that Vice President JD Vance “has a...

Five youngsters have been arrested in a placid California suburb for a disturbing TikTok trend that has frightened homeowners across the US. The latest arrests in Elk Grove, California, included two 13–year–olds, police said. The children were taken into custody after partaking in the so–called 'door kick challenge' - a TikTok trend in which teenagers sneak up to a person's property and kick in their front door. Footage released by the Elk Grove Police Department showed the two kids, one in a ski mask and the other with his hood up, backing into a front door before booting it at...

An American flag has been spotted lying down on the South Lawn of the White House - usually a sign of 'dire distress.' The Stars and Stripes were blown down from Donald Trump's newly-installed flagpole by the rotor wash - the rush of air created by helicopter blades - when Marine One came into land on Sunday night. Trump was pictured walking in front of the downed banner as he returned from Mar-a-Lago. The United States Flag Code, which is federal law, provides guidelines and etiquette for displaying and respecting the Star Spangled Banner. 'The flag should never be displayed...

Cloned meat will soon enter Canadian grocery stores without safety reviews or labeling - whereas some Americans have been eating it all along. Health officials recently scrapped a 22-year-old policy that classified cloned meat as novel foods, removing pre-market safety assessments and allowing these products to be sold with no disclosure. The move has sparked surprise in the US, after it was revealed that similar products have quietly been on shelves for years without labels. The FDA approved meat and milk from cloned cattle, swine and goats, along with their offspring, in January 2008. Nearly two decades later, many Americans...

A senior EU official has said he expects the US "not to interfere" in global climate negotiations in Brazil next week, citing aggressive behavior at last month’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings in London. At those talks, US officials reportedly intimidated diplomats from Africa and the so-called Small Island States, warning some they might lose US transit rights or face entry restrictions for themselves and their families if they did not help block the UN-backed Net Zero Framework for shipping. The official said they were unaware whether commission staff had been targeted directly. “We have no indication our colleagues were...

Economic issues are emerging as the most important issue for voters across Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City, ABC News exit polls reveal. […] More specifically, almost half of voters identified the economy as the most important issue in the Old Dominion state. “…About 2 in 10 said health care was. Fewer, about 1 in 10, said immigration and education were the most important issues, while less than 1 in 10 said crime,” per ABC News. While most said the economy in the state is either “excellent” or “good,” very few said they were actually “getting ahead” — about...

Alliance, Ohio (WTRF) — A 42-year-old man was arrested Friday morning after robbing the Huntington Bank on West State Street, marking the city’s first bank robbery since 2010. According to the Alliance Police Department, Jauan L. Mason, recently moved to Alliance from Akron, entered the bank around 9:20 a.m. and claimed he had a weapon. He demanded cash and fled on foot with approximately $400 in one-dollar bills. Police responded immediately and searched the area. Patrolman Paul Vesco located Mason walking on South Union Avenue near State Street. Mason had changed clothes and was carrying the stolen money. call to...