Free Republic

An RAF signals intelligence aircraft has been deployed over the Black Sea to monitor the movements of the Russian military across the region. The operation, conducted under the watchful eye of NATO and Russian air defence units, comes as the war in Ukraine shows no signs of abating in the near future. The plane being used is an RC-135W Rivet Joint, a modified Boeing aircraft, considered to be one of the most technologically sophisticated in the world. Equipped with an array of sensors, its sensors ‘soak up’ electronic emissions from communications, radar and other systems to build a picture of...

A brief scuffle broke out at London's Royal Opera House after a performer unfurled a Palestinian flag during a show. The incident took place during a performance of Il Trovatore on Saturday. During the final night of the 11-night run of the show, a performer held up the flag on stage. In video footage, shared online, someone backstage could be seen attempting to take it off the performer. The performer grabs it back following a brief scuffle. A spokesperson for the Royal Ballet and Opera said: "The display of the flag was an unauthorised action by the artist. "It was...

800 pages, thousands of entries, and almost a million words. The Domesday Book, England's earliest surviving public record. Amidst a grave crisis, William the Conqueror embarked on an extraordinary bureaucratic endeavor: the Domesday Book. Dr Stephen Baxter uncovers the immense scale of the 1086 survey, detailing who owned what across England down to the last pig. But why did William do it and what did it mean for the kingdom that he had just conquered? The Intriguing Mystery Of William The Conqueror's Domesday Book | 51:49 Chronicle - Medieval History Documentaries | 811K subscribers | 9,669 views | July 19,...

It was in Victorian times that the public were first given the right to enter and enjoy large green spaces for free as urban areas quickly grew in size. But while they have always been intended as pleasant spaces for the benefit of all, some parks are becoming hotspots for crimes from rape to murder and robbery. Knife attacks, thefts and sexual assaults have also been reported alongside a trend of anti-social behaviour that police and councils are trying to fight back against.

Angela Rayner accused Labour’s political opponents of “running scared” of young people as she pledged that 16-year-olds would be able to vote at the next election. The deputy prime minister argued that lowering the voting age will get “democracy back on track” and give frustrated young people “a stake in our country’s future”. Ministers are promising more “democratic education in schools” to encourage young people to turn out.

Shotgun pellets and bullets that contain lead are to be banned for almost all uses, ministers have said, in a long-awaited announcement welcomed by wildlife groups. < snip > The change to the law, announced by the environment minister Emma Hardy, will outlaw shotgun pellets containing more than 1% lead, and bullets that have more than 3%.

Even in green energy subsidised Britain, developing renewables does not make economic sense. Why wind farm developers are pulling out at the last minute.. The government aims to generate at least 43GW of offshore wind power (current capacity is 14.7GW) and 95% of all energy from renewable sources by 2030. These targets are now in jeopardy. The cancellation of Hornsea 4 follows a similar decision by Swedish developer Vattenfall, which stopped work on its 1.4GW Norfolk Boreas wind farm in 2023. … Building a wind turbine requires significant amounts of steel, copper and aluminium, all of which doubled or tripled...

Journalist Stewart Purvis, who covered the Falklands conflict in 1982, tells the inside story of one of Margaret Thatcher's most unusual operations to recover the Falklands from occupying Argentinian forces - 'Project Moonshine'.

Britain’s move to a Net Zero economy will cost taxpayers more than £800 billion over the next two decades, the OBR – the UK’s fiscal watchdog – has said. But even this is based on implausibly generous assumptions, say critics. ... The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said Government plans to limit climate change will cost the public purse £30 billion every year until at least 2051, as tax revenue from the sale of petrol and diesel fuel dries up. This includes nearly £9.9 billion of spending every year on tech investments – for example updating the electricity grid –...

Britain's largest misinformation monitor and "fact-checker" went into bankruptcy, according to a report in the Times of London last week. In the U.S., left-wing groups like NewsGuard and GDI have come under fierce criticism as de facto tools for censorship. Logically, founded in 2016 by Cambridge engineering graduate Lyric Jain, aimed to combat "harmful and manipulative content" following high-profile events like the Brexit referendum and the U.S. presidential election. A pivotal misstep was its decision to work with India's Karnataka state government's fact-checking unit, a move criticized by the Editors Guild of India and others for potentially enabling state censorship...

Glancing upwards only to spot a drone hovering over their gardens last week was the last straw for residents of Welford Place SW19, whose homes overlook the much lauded All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC). While the eye in the sky probably belongs to an accredited broadcaster scouting out local colour ahead of the annual championships, the intrusion felt all too typical of the approach that the Wimbledon high command itself takes to its near neighbours. The annual championships may charm a world audience with its cultivated celebration of grass court tennis, strawberries and a nostalgic evocation of English fair...

Britain is on course to becoming a 'second tier' European nation like Spain or Italy due to economic decline and a weak military that undermines its usefulness to allies, an expert has warned. Research professor Dr Azeem Ibrahim OBE concluded in a damning new report that the U.K. has been paralysed by low investment, high tax and misguided policies that could see it lose its standing as a top-tier middle power at current growth rates. The stark assessment weighed that successive government failures in regulation and attracting investment had caused Britain to miss out on the 'industries of the future'...

King Charles will welcome President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to the U.K. later this year, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. Formal planning for the state visit is underway, with an authoritative report in The Times saying it will take place in September. A formal letter of invitation — known as a ‘manu regia’ — signed by the King, 76, was hand-delivered to the White House by British officials in Washington last week. A Palace aide says, "His Majesty has known President Trump for many years and looks forward to hosting him and the First Lady later this year."...

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer appeared the most willing of America’s allies in Europe to align himself with President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, while fellow European leaders stressed for calm and a return to talks. On Saturday evening, President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement that the United States had conducted targetted ariel bombings of three nuclear sites in Iran. In an address to the nation, President Trump said that the facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan had been “completely and totally obliterated.” Trump added that “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now...

So much symbolism in this powerful song. The British are boiling under the surface. I don't believe it is yet too late.

This time we explore the magnificent Penshurst Place, one of England's most iconic Historic Houses. This stunning estate boasts centuries of history, from its Tudor origins to its role as a beloved retreat for King Henry VIII and a love nest with Anne Boleyn. Penshurst Place: One of England's Greatest Historic Houses and Gardens | 33:50 MemorySeekers | 191K subscribers | 114,231 views | July 13, 2024

Three British nationals could face death by a firing squad after they allegedly smuggled about a kilogram – over two pounds – of cocaine onto the island of Bali in Indonesia. The Associated Press reported that prosecutor I Made Dipa Umbara said 28-year-old Jonathan Christopher Collyer and 29-year-old Lisa Ellen Stocker were arrested Feb. 1, after customs officers stopped them at the X-ray machine when they found suspicious items disguised as food packages inside their luggage. Umbara told the District Court in Denpasar during a court hearing on Tuesday that a lab test result confirmed 10 pouches of "Angel Delight"...

White British people will become a minority in the UK population within the next 40 years, a report has predicted. An analysis of migration, birth and death rates up to the end of the 21st century predicts that white British people will decline from their current position as 73 per cent of the population to 57 per cent by 2050 before slipping into a minority by 2063. The research, by Prof Matt Goodwin of Buckingham University, suggests that by the end of the century, the white British share of the population – defined as people who do not have an...

Five women from across England who were groomed and abused as children or young adults have told BBC Newsnight about the ongoing impact it has had on their lives. All were targeted by adult men, mainly from a British Asian background, often against the backdrop of chaotic upbringings. They shared their stories on the same day the government confirmed the publication of a review into grooming gangs has been delayed. Kate Elysia - not her real name - was abused by a gang of men of Pakistani origin in the Shropshire town of Telford. She was first raped when she...

Since Trump began his second term, Britain has become a political escape hatch for American celebrities and wealthy Democrats. It’s so popular that last week, the British Home Office released data showing that in the 12 months leading up to March, almost 7,000 US citizens applied to become British subjects or live here indefinitely — the highest number since such records began in 2004. A third of those applications have been received since Trump took office at the start of 2025. **SNIP** But the glitzy progressives falling for Britain may find they are in for a shock: This is not...