Free Republic

Actor Charlie Sheen has revealed he still questions the official narrative around the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. The Two And A Half Men actor, 60, joined Tucker Carlson, 56, on his show on Friday to promote his new book, The Book of Sheen. While there, the Hollywood star revealed he didn't believe the official story of 9/11. 'There's something about that that's weird,' Sheen told Tucker. 'We're just going to focus on two things, just two things, and if you can explain those, I will submit to the official story.' Sheen takes issue with the stories...

A Moldovan oligarch and former senior politician has been extradited from Greece accused of involvement in the theft of $1bn (£748m). Vladimir Plahotniuc, 59, was flown from Athens to Chisinau on Thursday morning and then taken to a detention centre in Moldova's capital, local officials said. The tycoon, who faces several long-running criminal cases in Moldova, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to prove his innocence. His extradition comes days before Sunday's parliamentary elections, with President Maia Sandu warning that Moldova's independence and European future are in danger because of attempts by Russia to foment violence and spread...

More than 20 people have been rescued in Kenya from a suspected human trafficking ring that lured them with job offers in Russia but intended to send them to fight in Ukraine, police said. It follows an intelligence-led raid on a residential apartment on the outskirts of the capital, Nairobi, where officers seized recruitment materials, travel documents, and job offer letters. One suspect, accused of coordinating the victims' travel to Russia in September and October, has been arrested. He was taken to court, which allowed him to be detained for 10 days while the police complete their investigations. There have...

Ukrainian drones on Saturday struck an oil pumping station in the Russian Volga riverside region of Chuvashia, causing the station to halt work, regional governor Oleg Nikolaev said in a statement posted on Telegram. Nikolaev said that the attack took place near the village of Konar, around 1200km (745 miles) from Ukrainian territory. He said there had been no casualties and only “minor damage” inflicted. Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in recent weeks targeting refineries and export terminals to reduce Moscow’s export revenues, stir domestic discontent and push the Kremlin to peace talks. The attacks...

On Wednesday night, a Turning Point USA event at Virginia Tech honoring the late Charlie Kirk took an ugly turn. A male student stood up to ask popular podcaster Megyn Kelly if she was concerned about the growing, unseemly influence of “rich billionaire Jews” on American politics. “Did you say ‘rich billionaire Jews’?” an incredulous Kelly responded. “Yes,” the questioner said, as if this was a completely normal topic to bring up. It’s just one more example of the abnormal fixation younger Americans have on Israel and Jews. The young man seemed to be allied with the progressive left, which...

Moldova's electoral commission barred a pro-Russian party from participating in this weekend's parliamentary elections on Friday, a vote beleaguered by widespread claims of Russian interference. The outcome of Sunday's high-stakes vote could determine whether Moldova, a former Soviet republic and a candidate for EU membership, will continue on a path towards the West or be brought back into Moscow's orbit. The Heart of Moldova party is one of four parties in the Russia-friendly Patriotic Electoral Bloc (BEP), which is viewed as one of the main opponents of the ruling pro-Western Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). The Central Electoral Commission's...

THE husband of Putin's "Iron Doll" propagandist has become the fourth leading Russian figure to die in the space of just two days. Tigran Keosayan, who was himself a well known media figure, passed away after spending eight months in a coma. The Putin-cheerleader had long been suffering from a heart problems before his death. His wife Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of the state-controlled broadcaster RT, announced the news of his passing today. She wrote on social media: "Tonight, Tigran went to the Creator. Thank you to everyone who prayed. "Please do not call me or the family now. Thank you...

A WEALTHY pro-Putin politician was found hanging from a tree with his hands bound, while an ex transport boss was found dead at a five star hotel. These are the latest in a spate of mysterious high-profile deaths across Russia, with some of the victims known to be under the eye of the fearsome FSB. Vitaly Kapustin, 43, a construction company boss and regional MP, was found swinging 20ft up from a tree branch with tightly bound hands. Witnesses who spotted him from a highway called the police, and expressed strong doubts he had taken his own life. One said:...

Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey will surrender to authorities on Friday morning, CNN reported, citing two people familiar with the plan. The development follows his indictment by a federal grand jury earlier in the day. He faces charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional proceeding.

Gasoline shortages in some regions of Russia have prompted the Kremlin to announce an extension of its ban on fuel exports. Ukrainian drone strikes on refinery facilities are believed to be a factor. The shortages surfaced in the Russian Far East and other areas last month, and have spread to the western Belgorod and Nizhny Novgorod regions. The governor of the Belgorod region said on social media on Wednesday that the government had received a number of questions about fuel supplies. The governor added that efforts are underway to keep the situation under control but there are problems. In areas...

Russia has said it believes NATO is plotting a "landing" in Ukraine as part of a bid by the European Union to "occupy" Moldova. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed NATO military units were massing in Romania close to the Moldovan border and were also planning a "landing" in Ukraine's Odesa region, according to TASS, Moscow's state news agency. Why It Matters Moldova goes to the polls on Sunday in a critical parliamentary election. The vote is seen as a stark choice for the country between a path to EU membership or closer ties with Moscow. Following Russia’s invasion...

Poland has barred pro-Russian Moldovan politician Irina Vlah from entering the country for five years, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, accusing her of helping Moscow interfere in Moldova’s upcoming parliamentary elections. "Irina Vlah, a Moldovan politician who is assisting Russia in interfering with preparations for the parliamentary elections in Moldova, will be banned from entering Poland," the Polish foreign ministry said in a statement. Moldova is set to hold a high-stakes parliamentary vote on Sunday that could determine its European path. Officials in Chișinău and Western capitals have accused Moscow of trying to sway the outcome and undermine the...

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recommended that its citizens immediately leave Belarus and refrain from traveling to the country, the Polish embassy in Minsk reported. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends refraining from any travel to the Republic of Belarus and calls on Polish citizens currently in the Republic of Belarus to immediately leave its territory, using available commercial and private means“, the embassy's press service said.

US President Donald Trump voiced his displeasure with Putin’s actions and pointed out the decline of Russia’s economy, according to his remarks to journalists at the White House, APA reports quoting RBC Ukraine. Trump criticized what Russia is doing and the actions of its president, Vladimir Putin. "They have put it all out on the line. Their economy is going to hell. They're bombing the hell out of everything," he said. The US president also noted that Russian forces are capturing very little territory, if they are capturing any at all. "In fact, they're losing some territory. So, I think...

Russia and China asked the United Nations Security Council to vote on Friday on a draft resolution to delay by six months the reimposition of sanctions on Iran, diplomats said. All U.N. sanctions on Iran are due to be reimposed at 8 p.m. EDT on Friday (0000 GMT on Saturday) after Britain, France and Germany triggered a 30-day process accusing Tehran of violating a 2015 deal with world powers aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon. A resolution in the 15-member U.N. Security Council needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by either Britain, France...

United States President Donald Trump expressed on Thursday his disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin, regarding the lack of progress toward resolving the war in Ukraine. "With all of the heavy bombardment over the last two weeks, they have gained almost no land. I'm not going to ever call anybody a paper tiger but Russia has spent millions and millions of dollars in bombs, missiles, ammunition and lives," Trump told journalists amid a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Oval Office.

Big U.S. companies are facing heightened scrutiny from Capitol Hill over their use of foreign employees on H-1B visas, with lawmakers raising concerns about layoffs and slumping job prospects for Americans. On Wednesday evening, Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) sent letters to the country’s largest users of H-1B visas—including Amazon, Apple and JPMorgan Chase—asking them to explain why they continue to hire thousands of H-1B visa holders while also cutting other jobs. The senators asked for detailed information on how many H-1B workers the companies employ, what wages they are paid,...

After three and a half years, President Vladimir Putin is having to lean more and more on ordinary Russians to pay for his war in Ukraine. The Russian Finance Ministry on Wednesday said it intends to raise value added tax by two percentage points to 22 percent, part of a three-year plan that aims to plug a rapidly expanding hole in public finances. VAT accounted for more than 15 percent of total government revenue last year. After raising personal income taxes sharply at the start of the year, Putin had pledged there would be no more big changes to the...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview published on Thursday that he would be ready to step down after the war with Russia is over. “If we finish the war with the Russians, yes, I am ready not to go [for elections] because it’s not my goal, elections,” Zelensky told the Axios website in a video interview. “I wanted very much, in a very difficult period of time, to be with my country, help my country. My goal is to finish the war.” Zelensky said he would ask Ukraine’s parliament to organise elections if a ceasefire was reached. A...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Ukraine, APA reports. The announcement was made by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on his Facebook page. During their meeting, Rubio confirmed his agreement to travel to Ukraine. It should be noted that since assuming office, Secretary Rubio has not yet visited Ukraine.