Free Republic

Chinese leader Xi Jinping gave explicit signals that he was a friend and partner of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the weeks leading up to Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Now, with the invasion bogged down amid stiff Ukrainian resistance and much of the world on edge over the conflict, Xi has backtracked somewhat and contradicted his earlier stance by endorsing the efforts of European heads of states to make peace. That’s according to billionaire philanthropist George Soros, 91, who set forth his views on the crisis in an op-ed piece on March 11. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on...

By: Nikolaus HarbUSCH, Frank Schneider, Lisa Unvert, Uwe Wojtuschak and Ralf Schuler Berlin/Düsseldorf – This act makes you angry and stunned: Apparently a Ukrainian woman was raped in a refugee accommodation in Düsseldorf! .. According to BILD information, the crime happened on March 6: an 18-year-old Ukrainian woman was the victim of a sexual assault on the hotel ship "Oscar Wilde", which is currently also used as accommodation for refugees from Ukraine. She is said to have been abused by two men from Iraq and Nigeria (37 and 26 years old) one after the other.

A Ukrainian mayor who was abducted by Russian forces last week has been released from captivity, officials said Wednesday. The news that Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was no longer in Russian hands was announced by Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. "Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov has been released from Russian captivity," he wrote in a Telegram post. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, confirmed on Facebook that Zelenskyy had spoken with Fedorov. Ukraine Defense Ministry posted a video of the president talking to the mayor via cellphone. "We...

The FReeper Canteen Presents... St Patrick's Day Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies militaryand the family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the...

(Church Leaders) A pastor in Jacksonville, Fla., was arrested on Wednesday, March 9, and charged with capital sexual battery in a case where the abuse dates back at least 30 years, according to authorities. Two other church members, Jerome Teschendorf (68) and Vernon Williamson (85), were arrested on the same charge as Paul Dyal (78), founder and pastor of The Jacksonville Assembly of the Body of Christ. “It should be noted that through the course of the investigation we have identified and spoken to numerous victims and witnesses,” said the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO). “As a result, investigators believe there...

Last Friday night in Idaho a swarm of police vehicles surrounded a group of people including the breastfeeding mother of a six-month old baby. The baby and mother were put into an ambulance in which Officer Steve Hanson of the Garden City, Idaho Police took the child from the mother.... Breaking Update: The judge ordering the child into protective custody of the child protective services late this afternoon....

One of the suspects is 27-year-old Xavier Jackson from Kissimmee. Judd said he's accused of sending sexual pictures to what he thought was a 14-year-old girl. "Did I mention that he just happens to be a lifeguard at the Polynesian Resort for Disney? You think there's a few children around there? That's right, I didn't stutter. He was a lifeguard at the Polynesian Resort. And was bragging about that," Judd said. We reached out to Disney officials who confirmed three of the four suspects mentioned by the sheriff work for the company. Along with Jackson, the sheriff says 24-year-old Wilakson...

I took an advertising course in college. The prof gave us an assignment to make a radio or tv commercial on any product we chose. He was an old school guy, who told us that the rules of advertising hadn't really changed since the Clark Gable movie, The Hucksters, came out especially when it comes to "funny" ads. He said funny ads don't work. People may laugh at the commercial, but they won't be persuaded to buy the product by comedy. And his next thought stuck with me. People may remember the humor, but they won't remember the product that...

Sheriff Grady Judd said the 108 people arrested, include a retired judge from Illinois, a few restaurant managers and several who work at Disney. One of the suspects is 27-year-old Xavier Jackson from Kissimmee. Judd said he's accused of sending sexual pictures to what he thought was a 14-year-old girl. "Did I mention that he just happens to be a lifeguard at the Polynesian Resort for Disney?" We reached out to Disney officials who confirmed three of the four suspects mentioned by the sheriff work for the company. Along with Jackson, the sheriff says 24-year-old Wilakson Fidele works at Cosmic...

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) wants the Biden administration to intervene in the dispute over the state’s Line 5 oil pipeline and shut it down because keeping the pipeline open could result in an oil spill, Nessel says. Nessel told the Royal Oak Area Democratic Club during its March monthly meeting that the Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Pete Buttigieg, has jurisdiction over federal pipeline regulations and could therefore use its authority to close Line 5, according to a video of Nessel’s remarks to the club, which the conservative group Michigan Rising first provided to Breitbart News.

Kuching (Agenzia Fides) - The Chapel of the Sacred Heart, the first Christian chapel built inside a hospital in Malaysia, was inaugurated at the Sarawak Heart Center in Kota Samarahan. The structure was blessed by Catholic Archbishop Simon Poh, Archbishop of Kuching and President of the Association of Christian Churches in Sarawak, a Malaysian state located on the island of Borneo. The idea of building a chapel for Christian worship was proposed in 2019 and with the support of Dr. Mohd Asri bin Riffin, director of the medical facility, responsibility for the design of the chapel was given to the...

CONCORD, N.H. — The controversial debate over treating COVID-19 with the drug ivermectin made it to the floor of the New Hampshire House on Wednesday, with the Republican majority voting to make it easier to obtain the drug at pharmacies. On a 183-159 vote, the House approved legislation allowing pharmacists to make ivermectin available via standing order. "A standing order is a prescriptive protocol written by a physician or nurse practitioner that allows a pharmacist to dispense a medication without an individual prescription," said state Rep. Leah Cushman, R-Weare. Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic drug that gained notoriety as a supposed...

Snitches have a new way to make money in Charlotte, North Carolina. By texting the FBI and tattling on people that have illegal cash, informants can make up to 25 percent of the money seized, according to an FBI news release. Jilted lovers, jealous friends, and nosy neighbors can now score big. The good news for anyone tempted by the offer is that federal law makes asset confiscation far too easy. By using civil forfeiture, law enforcement agencies can take cash, cars, and other assets without convicting anyone of wrongdoing. The government doesn't have to make an arrest, develop a...

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday struggled to defend President Biden’s decision to give Ukraine $800 million worth of “defensive” guns, rockets and exploding drones while withholding “offensive” fighter jets to challenge Russia’s invasion. David Sanger of the New York Times pressed Psaki at her regular briefing about the distinction, noting that even ground-based weapons can shoot down Russian planes. “I think you just said that you didn’t want to have NATO pilots bringing down Russian planes. But under the administration’s policy of moving out this long range anti-aircraft [weaponry], it’s OK to have NATO equipment bringing down...

A German Catholic diocese has commissioned 17 women to administer baptisms, citing a shortfall in the number of priests. The Diocese of Essen, in Germany’s industrial Ruhr area, is the first diocese in the country to commission a group of women to administer the sacrament, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. Theresa Kohlmeyer, head of the department of faith, liturgy, and culture in the diocese, said that the step was necessary because there were “fewer priests than in the past.” She added there was “a great need on the part of baptismal families for the most individual accompaniment and...

Oakland Athletics are purging top players, trading Chris Bassitt and Matt Olson. It should be the last straw for the team’s few remaining fans.A’s fans deserve better. But sadly, any fans who have stuck around know the drill by now. The A’s are tearing it all down, again. This weekend, All-Star starting pitcher Chris Bassitt was traded to the Mets. Monday, Matt Olson, a legitimate MVP candidate, was sent to the Braves. More will come in the days and weeks to come. Matt Chapman, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas — anyone wearing green and yellow and anywhere near arbitration is...

Oakland Athletics are purging top players, trading Chris Bassitt and Matt Olson. It should be the last straw for the team’s few remaining fans.A’s fans deserve better. But sadly, any fans who have stuck around know the drill by now. The A’s are tearing it all down, again. This weekend, All-Star starting pitcher Chris Bassitt was traded to the Mets. Monday, Matt Olson, a legitimate MVP candidate, was sent to the Braves. More will come in the days and weeks to come. Matt Chapman, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas — anyone wearing green and yellow and anywhere near arbitration is...

Owen Shroyer presents video footage from New York where the unelected governor was booed by a massive crowd at a Rangers hockey game. https://futurenews.news/watch?id=62326490310a1e7ea6c893a0

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus posed with a Ukrainian flag poster emblazoned with the words "We stand with Ukraine," and an AFL-CIO logo. The only problem is the flag was printed upside down. Ukraine's flag has blue on top, and yellow at the bottom, representing the sky and wheat. The country is known as Europe's bread basket. The flag symbolizes a blue sky over a field of wheat. This was a major clout fail for the union heads, who represent some 12.5 million American educators. Many found it hard to believe that...

Journalist James Collier spoke about his book "Votescam: The Stealing of America," which had just been released.