Free Republic

The growing ties between Tehran and Moscow come as Iran has increased its military activity against Israel through attacks by its proxy groups: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Russia is deepening its ties with global forces of destabilization, chiefly Iran, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, told the General Assembly on Monday. Erdan's comments came ahead of the parley Moscow is holding this week with Palestinian factions, including Hamas. “This week, Russia will be hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow! And not for the first time!” Erdan told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, which...

Russia today announced joint naval maneuvers with China. Several Russian warships would take part in the maneuvers, which are scheduled to take place in the East China Sea between Wednesday and December 27, the Russian Defense Ministry said today. The main objectives of the exercises are to "strengthen naval cooperation" between Russia and China and "maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region". The Russian Ministry of Defense also said that the exercises would also include the firing of rockets, artillery and the defense against submarines. According to the information, Russia wants to use a missile cruiser, a frigate and...

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Isaac closed in on the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast on Monday, triggering some mandatory evacuation orders and disrupting U.S. offshore oil production as it threatened to make landfall between Florida and Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane. The wide, slow-moving storm swiped south Florida on Sunday and strengthened over the warm Gulf waters. It was expected to reach land Tuesday night or early Wednesday, the anniversary of devastating Hurricane Katrina seven years ago. The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that the storm could push vast amounts of seawater over the shore, flooding the...

JAKARTA (AFP) - Thousands of people have evacuated from the slopes of Indonesia's menacing Mount Merapi as lava flows spread further around the slopes of the volcano, officials have said. The volcano was put on red alert -- indicating a feared imminent eruption -- on May 13 but residents have been particularly nervous since a deadly earthquake rocked the region 10 days ago. A natural ridge formed by an eruption early in the last century and known as Geger Boyo which had so far helped contain larger lava flows to the southwest and west of the mountain has collapsed, they...