Free Republic

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave an interview to Magyar Nemzet, a Hungarian newspaper, discussing Moscow’s stance on peace talks with Ukraine, and NATO’s expansion as a pivotal risk to national security. He also addressed Russia’s pragmatic relations with Hungary and dismissed claims of imperial ambitions in Europe.Is Russia genuinely seeking peaceful settlement, or is all of that just playing for time in order to adjust the military strategy by redeploying troops or mobilizing supplies to the line of contact?Russia has always been and remains open to a political and diplomatic settlement in Ukraine. However, it must bring durable peace,...

Twelve Turkish soldiers have died after being exposed to methane gas while searching a cave in northern Iraq, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence said. At least 19 personnel were exposed to the gas during the search and clear operation on Sunday, and immediately taken to hospital. By Monday, 12 had died, the ministry said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he received the news with "great sorrow" and extended his condolences to the soldiers' families and to the Turkish Armed Forces. Methane gas is not directly toxic, but can be deadly as it can become suffocating, especially in tight, enclosed...

Russia’s former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit who was fired by President Vladimir Putin has shot himself dead, Russian authorities said Monday. According to Kremlin-controlled media, Starovoit was found dead with a gunshot wound in Odintsovo near Moscow. Officials said they believe it was a suicide. “The circumstances of the incident are being established. The main version is suicide,” Russia’s Investigative Committee Official Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement, as speculation swirled in Moscow.

Not to disappoint Philip Roth, but the fact that you title your book, The Great American Novel, does not make it a great American novel. My definition of Great American Novel is pretty straightforward: a first rate fiction, by an American, that tells us something large and expansive about the American experience. One other condition—it has to be readable. A caveat upfront for the sensitive: seven of the ten novels listed below use the word “nigger,” not the infantile “n-word,” but the actual word itself. For the last many years, we have collectively refrained from using “nigger,” even in an...

Virginia’s off-year elections are being viewed by both parties as a key bellwether heading into next year’s midterms, as well as a potential indicator for how voters view President Trump. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) will face off to become the first female governor of the state, while Democrats will seek to maintain and grow their majority in the House of Delegates. The races could prove to be a litmus test for the first year of Trump’s second administration as Republicans prepare to defend their majorities in Congress next year, especially as Virginia has...

At town halls in their districts and in one-on-one meetings with constituents and activists, Democratic members of Congress are facing a growing thrum of demands to break the rules, fight dirty — and not be afraid to get hurt. Why it matters: House Democrats told Axios they see a growing anger among their base that has, in some cases, morphed into a disregard for American institutions, political traditions and even the rule of law.

At town halls in their districts and in one-on-one meetings with constituents and activists, Democratic members of Congress are facing a growing thrum of demands to break the rules, fight dirty — and not be afraid to get hurt. Why it matters: House Democrats told Axios they see a growing anger among their base that has, in some cases, morphed into a disregard for American institutions, political traditions and even the rule of law. "This idea that we're going to save every norm and that we're not going to play [Republicans'] game ... I don't think that's resonating with voters...

We’ve spent the last few years marveling at how AI tools seem to think, with me, for me, and even a curious cognitive construct that I've struggled to put my finger on. snip So, here are the emergent questions. What happens when a machine can predict your professional judgment better than a colleague? What happens when it completes your thoughts more fluently than you can? What happens when an LLM can model your biases, your hesitations, your habits of mind and then adjust accordingly? Read this paragraph again and really think about it—in a way that only a human can....

It’s common sense: Local challenges should be confronted and solved locally whenever possible. Protecting Americans’ health is no exception. Yet few realize that the World Health Organization still exerts influence over American health care, even as the United States has taken steps to separate from it. Earlier this year, a presidential executive order initiated the process of withdrawing the U.S. from the WHO, citing concerns that the organization prioritizes politics over science and public accountability. There is no question that leaving the WHO was and still is an important step forward for American patients, but there is much more work...

DALLAS - The Dallas Cowboys on Sunday announced they were making a donation towards flood recovery efforts in Central Texas. In a social media post, the team said they were donating $500,000 to go toward resources for rescue, relief and recovery. What they're saying: "Our hearts are heavy as we witness the devastation and loss of life caused by the floods in Kerr County and Texas Hill Country, especially for the young girls and their families, as well as all of those lost and their loved ones," the team said on Facebook. "This has been devastating to see, and we...

Attention Spaceflight enthusiasts! As you may know, the US Senate just saved SLS, Orion and Gateway with a $10 million investment. What you may not know, is that a recent GAO report revealed that those programs are even more over budget than we thought! And meanwhile, the fiscally responsible NASA programs are getting cut! Congress saves over budget SLS and Gateway, cuts fiscally responsible NASA programs!/a> | 14:42 The Angry Astronaut | 198K subscribers | 14,018 views | July 6, 2025

Maybe it's the insatiable need for attention, maybe it's the desperation felt by unimpressive also-rans to come up with anything provocative enough to generate some kind of reaction, or maybe it's the obnoxious preoccupation that DC-dwellers have with their own egos that prevents the exercise of basic human decency. But whatever it is, the penchant far too many politicians demonstrate to crawl on top of freshly dead bodies - particularly those of innocent children - puff their chests out and use soul-searing pain as a perch for their own pet agenda remains one of the most deplorable social cancers plaguing...

Philadelphia's public school system, according to documents provided to the Free Beacon, teaches identity politics and hosts radical pro-Hamas employees.. Philadelphia’s public school system has become an "absolute cesspool" of anti-Semitism and anti-American hatred, according to local parents, who say Gov. Josh Shapiro (D.) has "completely ignored" their pleas for help. Since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, Philadelphia school officials have publicly defended terrorism, called for the release of convicted cop killers, claimed Israel is an "apartheid theocracy," and denounced the United States as a "criminal Amerikan empire." The Philadelphia school district settled a federal discrimination case with the Department...

Elon Musk said Saturday he was launching the "America Party" after President Trump signed his historic spending bill. In a falling out with the president, Musk has been critical of the bill in recent weeks and said he would start a new political party if it passed. Musk said the party could start by targeting a select number of seats in Congress.

On June 16, 2025, Lebanese TV host Walid Abboud, on Hala Al-Arabiya (Lebanon), addressed Hizbullah and Iranian regime supporters in Lebanon, telling them to leave Lebanon. He said that they should take their weapons, drones, rockets, flags, and allegiance to the Supreme Leader and the "Resistance Axis" with them.He said that their "Great Iran" has planted a nuclear bomb in the midst of Lebanon, while its people are consumed by wars and killed by hunger. He accused Hizbullah of planting weapons and drones throughout Lebanon under the guise of saving the country, saying that in reality, it is finishing it...

A beloved Manhattan bodega cat was horrifically mauled to death by two pit bulls last week as the dogs’ heartless female owner and pals “watched and cheered,” animal rescuers claimed to The Post. Tragic adorable tabby Freddy was attacked around 9 p.m. Friday outside Michelle Flowers, where he lived, in Washington Heights, according to volunteer rescuers with Cat Collective NY, who said they looked at surveillance video and spoke with witnesses. The pit bulls’ owner and pals then smoked, danced and ate food while taking photos and mimicking the grisly scene, the group told The Post. “Someone deliberately set dogs...

Muslim leaders from across Europe met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem to promote a message of peace on Monday. In a statement, Herzog said: President Isaac Herzog met this morning, Monday, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, with a delegation of Imams and Muslim community leaders from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The delegation, led by ELNET, brought together leading Muslim figures who came to Israel to promote a message of peace, coexistence and partnership between Muslims and Jews, and between Israel and the Muslim world. The President stressed the importance of the delegation,...

Venezuelan political refugee warns same policies that destroyed his homeland are being championed in America's largest city. I was born and raised in a country where the government built public housing and converted private housing into communes; where the state managed grocery stores, controlled prices and expropriated the wealth of the "rich" in the name of social justice. Weapons were prohibited and "hate speech" — which is, any criticism of power — was punished by law. I lived in the dream that a lot of New Yorkers want for their city. And I had to flee to survive. Growing up...

Pediatrician fired for vile post suggesting Texas flood victims were Trump supporters who got ‘what they voted for’ A pediatrician has been fired over a vile post suggesting that the more than 80 killed in the horrific Texas floods — including dozens of kids — were Trump supporters who got “what they voted for.” Dr. Christina B. Propst drew widespread scorn following the disparaging, since-deleted post under her old Facebook username, Chris Tina, according to Mediaite. “May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters and pets be safe and dry,” Probst wrote in the now-viral post.

A British teenager jailed in Dubai for having sex with a 17-year-old girl has been released and is back in the UK. Marcus Fakana, now aged 19, was sentenced in December to a year's imprisonment after a consensual relationship with the girl, who is also British, while on holiday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The age of consent in the country is 18. The girl's mother reported Fakana to the UAE authorities after seeing messages between the two when she had returned to the UK. Fakhana, from Tottenham in north London, has received a royal pardon from Dubai's ruler...