Free Republic

So in the middle of the media firestorm featuring President Trump and his battle with four progressive Democrat freshman members in the House calling themselves “The Squad” — a whirlwind of stories over racism and anti-Semitism — The Washington Post ran a big story on none other than George Takei. Mr. Takei, of course, is famous for his role in the original Star Trek series as Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the starship USS Enterprise. He is now 82, described by the Post as an “activist for gay rights and social justice.” Takei is also the author of a new...

Fire department officials in Kyoto said they have confirmed 33 people died in a suspected arson attack in Kyoto. They say 36 others were injured. The fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. on Thursday at the studio of Kyoto Animation. It took firefighters nearly five hours to extinguish the blaze. Officials say about 70 people were in the building at the time of the fire. Police say one suspect, believed to be in his 40s, has been taken into custody. The man was reportedly seen pouring a flammable liquid inside the building before it went up in flames. Witnesses also...

Most of the dead and the 36 injured were workers at Kyoto Animation, known for mega-hit stories featuring high school girls, with places featured in the stories even becoming “pilgrimage sites” for their fans. The fire started in the three-story building in Japan’s ancient capital after the suspect sprayed an unidentified liquid accelerant, Kyoto prefectural police and fire department officials said. Japanese media reported the fire might have been set near the front door, forcing people to find other exits and possibly delaying their escape. So far, 20 people were confirmed dead, including 12 on the first and second floors,...

MOSCOW -- Russia is boosting Arctic production of liquefied natural gas to counter growing competition from the U.S. while looking to Asia's major energy importers to buffer projects against Washington's ire. Russian gas producer Novatek agreed on June 29 to sell a 10% stake in its Arctic LNG 2 terminal to Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co. and state-owned Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp. Two Chinese companies -- China National Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Corp. and China National Offshore Oil Corp. -- have a 20% stake in the facility. The terminal is scheduled to go online...

Why Japan doesn’t suffer from mass Muslim immigration…or mass immigration of any kind JULY 14, 2019 BY BARENAKEDISLAM Japan does have foreign workers, but they are not considered part of its immigration policy. While a small number of foreigners do attain permanent residency status, they virtually never are allowed to become citizens. In 2015, Japan only accepted 27 Muslim refugees for asylum and two of them were quickly arrested for gang rape. In subsequent years, few to none have been granted asylum. The UN Refugee agency says Japan is home to 2,419 refugees, compared to its Group of Seven ally...

The Fanatic Trump-haters in the media are once again proven wrong, as the North Korean media are stoking public expectations of a deal that will improve their lives. Far from a photo-op that strengthens Kim and denigrates Trump and the USA, the regime's propaganda is stoking North Korean public expectations of a successful denuclearization deal. It also features President Trump as a wise and courageous leader. A remarkable 16-minute North Korean propaganda video has been subtitled and posted to YouTube, and the tone, narration, music, and cinematography all point to efforts to sell the public on a new era that...

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham started her tenure on the right foot with the White House press corps — the same foot she pivoted off to shove North Korean guards aside so reporters could cover President Trump and Kim Jong Un. Grisham won applause from journalists excited to see her take decisive action Sunday ensuring coverage of the historic meeting in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. A clip of Grisham’s Sunday scuffle played on TVs in White House workspaces on Monday morning as journalists who were there relayed the experience to colleagues, recalling that North Korean guards hadn't screened the...

Following President Trump's controversial meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Fox News senior strategist analyst Gen. Jack Keane argued it's imperative that the government see real evidence of denuclearization from the country before negotiating further.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Spoke with Nancy Pelosi and we had a good conversation having to do with the bil. And we are moving along very well with the bipartisan bill in the Senate. Spoke with Mitch, spoke to a lot of people, we're doing very well. It's very far along and I believe that House is going to also be getting together with the Senate, hopefully they can get something done. It's humanitarian aid, it's very important and I think that a lot of people are starting to realize that I was right when I said we have a crisis...

The candidates in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary put aside their squabbles on Sunday - sort of - to focus on a common enemy: President Trump. From former Vice President Joe Biden to former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, the Democratic hopefuls derided Trump’s third meeting with North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un – accusing the president of everything from “coddling” dictators to posing for a photo opportunity. “President Trump’s coddling of dictators at the expense of American national security and interests is one of the most dangerous ways that he’s diminishing us on the world stage...

She’s new on the job as White House Press Secretary but Stephanie Grisham has already created headlines of her own. Reporters on the scene of President Trump’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un claimed that Grisham was bruised up during a confrontation with North Korean guards. Grisham suffered bruises when a scuffle broke out Sunday between North Korean security guards and members of the media trying to get close to President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as they shook hands at the Demilitarized Zone, the Associated Press reported.The new press secretary was reportedly pushing back...

When President Trump sent a Twitter invitation on Friday to North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to meet at the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone separating the Koreas — “just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!” — both men had much to gain, and more to lose. If Mr. Kim did not attend, even though his side had seemed intrigued, it would have embarrassed Mr. Trump and opened him up to more criticism for his unpredictable diplomacy. It would also have compounded the dramatic failure of their summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, which Mr. Trump abruptly called off in February. . ....

President Trump wraps his trip to the G20 world leaders' summit in Osaka, Japan with a press conference in front of U.S. and world media. Trump then jets off to South Korea for a meeting with President Moon on concerns over tension on the Korean Penninsula #FoxNewsLive #FoxNews

Women have outperformed their male counterparts in entrance examinations for a medical school in Japan that last year admitted rigging admission procedures to give men an unfair advantage. Juntendo University in Tokyo said that of the 1,679 women who took its medical school entrance exam earlier this year, 139, or 8.28%, had passed. The pass rate among 2,202 male candidates was 7.72%. It was the first time in seven years that the pass rate among women was higher than among men, the Asahi Shimbun reported. The university attributed the exam results to its decision to “abolish the unfair treatment of...

A Magnitude-6.8 earthquake has hit off the coast of Yamagata Prefecture in northern Japan. Tsunami advisories are in place along coastal areas of Yamagata, Niigata and Ishikawa prefectures.

Two U.S. Warships in Gulf of Oman Supporting Damaged Tanker By: Sam LaGrone June 14, 2019 10:23 AM Sailors aboard USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) render aid to the crew of the M/V Kokuka Courageous on June 13, 2019 in the Gulf of Oman. This post will be updated with additional information as it becomes available. Two U.S. guided-missile destroyers are aiding a merchant ship that was damaged in an alleged attack by Iranian sectarian forces on Thursday, U.S. 5th Fleet officials told USNI News on Friday. USS Mason (DDG-87) and USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) are assisting M/V Kokuka Courageous as the ship...

U.S. officials have told Fox News that the crew of one of the two stricken oil tankers damaged outside the Persian Gulf were detained by the Iranians Thursday after first being rescued by another merchant vessel. The crew of the Front Altair was first rescued by the Hyundai Dubai, according to U.S. officials, but Iranian gunboats quickly surrounded the ship and demanded the crew be turned over. The captain ultimately relented and ordered his crew to surrender. The 23 crew members are now being held in Iran. It’s not immediately clear what the next steps are. Pictures and footage from...

The Japanese owner of the Kokuka Courageous, one of two oil tankers targeted near the Strait of Hormuz, said Friday that sailors on board saw "flying objects" just before it was hit, suggesting the vessel wasn't damaged by mines. That account contradicts what the U.S. military said as it released a video Friday it said shows Iranian forces removing an unexploded limpet mine from one of the two ships that were hit.

In an unprecedented move last week, India voted in support of Israel at the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to deny observer status to a Palestinian human rights organisation named ‘Shahed’. This is the first time India has taken a step back from its decades-old position on the two-state theory under which New Delhi sees both Israel and Palestine as separate and independent countries, seeking to bring peace in West Asia.The vote, which took place on 6 June at the UN, saw countries such as US, France, Germany, India, Japan, UK, South Korea and Canada polling in favour of...

North Korea’s tyrant ordered his death after he was accused of planning a coup. Kim had a giant fish tank built inside Ryongsong Residence, .....The victim’s arms and torso were cut open with knives before he was thrown into the tank. it's unclear whether the general was killed by the fish, died from his wounds or drowned. The researchers are believed to have come up with several execution methods designed to scare potential plotters. It's believed they got the idea from the1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me,.... Kim’s aquarium is filled with several hundred piranhas imported from...