Free Republic

HMS Dragon has arrived in the eastern Mediterranean, three weeks after an Iranian-made drone hit the British base of RAF Akrotiri, the defence secretary has said. The Type 45 destroyer will begin “operational integration into Cyprus’s defence” from Monday night, John Healey told MPs. The British government has faced criticism for the slowness to deploy a warship to the region, after moves by Greece and France to send extra naval support to Cyprus after the attack. The Cypriot government has also expressed concern that the drone was able to hit the base, suggesting that the presence of the British base...

Feeling crabby? This video of a baby crab eating a Cheerio will raise your spirits. Watch the adorable moment, filmed

Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez died of a massive heart attack after great suffering and inaudibly mouthed his desire to live, the head of the country's presidential guard said. "He couldn't speak but he said it with his lips … 'I don't want to die. Please don't let me die,' because he loved his country, he sacrificed himself for his country," General Jose Ornella said. The general said he had spent the past two years with Chávez, including his final moments, as Venezuela's president of 14 years battled an unspecified cancer in the pelvic region.