Free Republic

At an emergency summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, the building blocks of an empire were beginning to take shape. […] In a brutal new age of world powers, the EU wants to build a bigger, richer, stronger “super Europe” able to resist the dangerous whims of the globe’s autocrats. Turning 27 quarrelsome small to middle-sized powers into a geopolitical heavyweight has been Emmanuel Macron’s largely unheeded call ever since the US president’s first term. This time, though, it is different, multiple Brussels insiders have told The Telegraph. “Let’s take a step back and realize we live in a...

Longtime attendees are complaining that this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos felt more like Art Basel in Miami and less like an elite conference, with thousands descending on the tiny Swiss mountain town to chase parties rather than conduct diplomacy or business. The annual event wraps up Friday. While keynotes and fireside chats still made headlines— and still drew big names such as Donald Trump and Elon Musk — attendees complain that it’s been overrun and devolved into a social scene that falls somewhere between St. Barth’s at New Year’s and Snow Polo in St. Moritz. “There is so...

It’s not often that Europe speaks with one voice – or responds with such urgency.But US President Donald Trump’s announcement Saturday of sanctions against several European countries that reject any US claim to Greenland, a Danish territory, was one of those moments.EU ambassadors are holding an emergency meeting in Brussels on Sunday in response to Trump’s threat, which he made after an estimated quarter of the population of Greenland’s capital Nuuk joined protests against any potential annexation.Across the continent, among allies that usually tread carefully in responding to utterances from the White House, the response was immediate and emphatic, and...

Summary Industry calls on EU to consider never-before-used 'Anti-Coercion Instrument' Current tariff regime already costing German companies billions U.S. is Germany's top export destination BERLIN, Jan 18 (Reuters) - German industry reacted with anger on Sunday to U.S. President Donald Trump's planned use of tariffs to crank up the pressure on Denmark to sell Greenland, calling on Europe not to cave in to his demands.Trump's threat to implement a wave of increasing tariffs on European allies until the U.S. is allowed to buy the strategically important island derails a period of relative calm for businesses after Brussels and Washington agreed...

Eurostar has revealed their brand new gender-neutral uniforms which includes skirts for men, a graffiti neckerchief and green Dr. Marten boots. The redesign is the first new uniform in over a decade and includes 54 individual items of clothing designed to 'fit all genders, body types and personalities' and aims to 'empower staff to express their individuality'.

Rice growers in Valencia are warning that your paella might be doomed before it hits the pan – not because of your cooking skills, but due to unclear labelling on imported rice sold as if it were local. EU trade rules and lax origin labels are fuelling claims of ‘fake’ paella rice, as Asian and South American imports increasingly find their way into Spanish supermarkets. Valencian rice farmers say EU trade rules are ruining paella Valencia, the birthplace of paella, is home to traditional short-grain rice varieties like bomba, prized for their unique cooking properties. But local farmers claim that...

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has scrapped over $500 million (€432 million) in federal vaccine funding, announcing a pivot towards developing a so-called “universal vaccine” designed to mimic natural immunity. In a statement on August 6, 2025, Kennedy confirmed that the US Department of Health and Human Services will cancel 22 vaccine development projects (all using mRNA technology) in favour of “safer, broader vaccine strategies.” The move, affecting major players like Pfizer and Moderna, has sparked fierce backlash from public health experts across the US. Kennedy claimed the goal is a new, all-in-one jab that could offer protection...

Hold on to your vikingahjälmar, because Sweden’s Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, has sparked a national debate after casually admitting that he often consults artificial intelligence tools – including ChatGPT and the French chatbot LeChat – to get a “second opinion” on political questions. Speaking to the business newspaper Dagens Industri on August 5, Kristersson said: “I use it myself quite often. If for nothing else than for a second opinion. What have others done? And should we think the complete opposite? Those types of questions.” He also revealed that his colleagues in the centre-right coalition government make use of AI...

Donald Trump is hosting the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington this week for a summit which could advance a much-anticipated peace agreement between the two. The meeting would send a strong signal to Moscow regarding the two countries' commitment to finding a solution without Russia. The leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia are set to meet US President Donald Trump for a peace summit in Washington on Thursday and Friday, which could advance a much-anticipated peace deal between the two countries. After almost four decades of bitter conflict, Baku and Yerevan might finally settle for peace in the region...

A new study sheds light on ChatGPT's alarming interactions with teens.ChatGPT will tell 13-year-olds how to get drunk and high, instruct them on how to conceal eating disorders, and even compose a heartbreaking suicide letter to their parents if asked, according to new research from a watchdog group. The Associated Press reviewed more than three hours of interactions between ChatGPT and researchers posing as vulnerable teens. The chatbot typically provided warnings against risky activity but went on to deliver startlingly detailed and personalised plans for drug use, calorie-restricted diets, or self-injury. The researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate...

Over a year ago, the Netherlands reported numerous sperm mega-donors within the country, leading to fears of accidental incest. The number of these mega-donors seems to keep growing, with the Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NVOG) now admitting at least 85 men have fathered 25 or more children. The most infamous Dutch sperm mega-donor is Jonathan Meijer, who is believed to have over 1,000 children and was the subject of a Netflix documentary last year. Meijer had been ordered to stop donating sperm, though he appeared not to have complied, just moving his sperm donation business outside of the...

MPs are to summon Elon Musk to testify about X’s role in spreading disinformation, in a parliamentary inquiry into the UK riots and the rise of false and harmful AI content, the Guardian has learned. Senior executives from Meta, which runs Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok are also expected to be called for questioning as part of a Commons science and technology select committee social media inquiry. The first hearings will take place in the new year, amid rising concern that UK online safety laws risk being outpaced by rapidly advancing technology and the politicisation of platforms such as X....

German men are being shamed into urinating while sitting down by a gadget which is saving millions of women from cleaning up in the bathroom after them.