Free Republic

The democratic will of the Hungarian people to clamp down on the proliferation of LGBTQ+ ideology should be punished by the European Commission, a group of 16 EU countries demanded on Wednesday. In response to recent legislation passed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s conservative government to ban Pride parades in Hungary, over half of fellow European Union member states signed an open letter demanding that Budapest reverse course or face punishment from Brussels. The “declaration” was signed by the countries of Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Sweden. […]...

Satellite images have revealed how Moscow is bulking up its military presence on the Finnish border - in a chilling echo of pictures taken of Russian bases before Putin launched his war in Ukraine. Moscow is building troop accommodation, aircraft deployment infrastructure and refurbishing old facilities at key military bases, analysts have said, in a sign it is seeking to reinforce its capabilities in the border region. The pictures, which were obtained by Swedish broadcaster SVT from Planet Labs, suggest there has been activity at four locations inside Russia - Kamenka, Petrozavodsk, Severomorsk-2, and Olenya. In Kamenka, which is around...

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday said he has "no illusions" over a quick end to Russia's war in Ukraine."We may have to prepare for a longer duration," Merz said after talks with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in the south-western Finnish city of Turku.Throughout history, conflicts have usually ended when one or both sides have reached exhaustion, either militarily or economically, said Merz."We are obviously still a long way from that in this war," he argued.The German chancellor, who took office earlier this month, insisted that support for Ukraine would continue. The war is not just about Ukraine's territorial...

HELSINKI, May 19 (Reuters) - Finland will supply 90 million euros ($101.35 million) of ammunition to Ukraine by using proceeds from Russian financial assets frozen by the European Union after Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022, the Finnish defence ministry said on Monday.The EU has estimated that 210 billion euros of the roughly $300 billion worth of frozen Russian assets are held in the 27-nation bloc, mainly in the form of government bonds that Russia's central bank had stored as reserves.HELSINKI, May 19 (Reuters) - Finland will supply 90 million euros ($101.35 million) of ammunition to Ukraine by using proceeds from...

TALLINN/ANTALYA, Turkey, May 15 (Reuters) - Estonia said on Thursday that Moscow had briefly sent a fighter jet into NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea during an attempt to stop a Russian-bound oil tanker thought to be part of a "shadow fleet" defying Western sanctions on Moscow. Russia, which regards sanctions as a malign attempt to crush its economy, says all its ships have free passage in the Baltic and any attempt to stop them is dangerous. Estonia's navy said the unflagged Jaguar ship, which went onto a UK sanctions list last week, refused to cooperate when asked to stop...

Numerous world leaders and royals have gathered in Rome for Pope Francis' funeral. Among the most prominent figures at the Vatican's St Peter's Square on Saturday morning were Prince William, US President Donald Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden, Britain's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Their attendance comes at a fragile time for international diplomacy, with Trump meeting Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky before the service. So among the VIP attendees, who sat next to whom? Trump was in a front-row seat near Francis' coffin, alongside his wife Melania Trump, across the aisle from Macron and...

Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä have for the first time isolated a giant virus in Finland, Jyvaskylavirus, revealing that these large amoeba‑infecting viruses are more widespread in northern soils and waters than previously thought. (Artist’s concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.com ************************************************************************ Finland’s first giant virus, Jyvaskylavirus, shows these viruses are more widespread than thought and play key roles in ecosystems. For the first time in Finland, researchers at the University of Jyväskylä’s Nanoscience Center have isolated a giant virus, which they have named Jyvaskylavirus. This discovery suggests that giant viruses may be more widespread in northern regions than previously believed. It...

People seem to always have beef with vegans — and scientists say they’ve figured out why. A new study published in the journal Food Quality and Preference found that your typical carnivore’s hatred of vegans might simply be due to envy. Researchers from University of Vaasa in Finland wanted to understand why a plant-based diet and the use of meat substitutes are still so frowned upon in Europe. “The consumption of meat and meat substitutes is a highly charged social phenomenon,” Roosa-Maaria Malila, an author of the study, said in a statement. “According to our research, consumers who prefer plant-based...

FOR A COUNTRY known for long winters and high taxes, Finland appears remarkably chipper. On March 20th it came top of the World Happiness Report, an annual UN-backed study, notching its eighth consecutive win ahead of 146 other countries. Not far behind it were Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. What makes the Nordics so happy? The World Happiness Report is more a study of life satisfaction than smiles and laughter. It is based on a survey by Gallup, a pollster, where participants are asked to rate their lives out of ten. Finns are not known to gloat (or, for that matter,...

Donald Trump is losing patience with Vladimir Putin’s stalling tactics over the Ukraine ceasefire, the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, said after spending nine hours with the US president – including winning a golf competition with him at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday. Stubb, who also spent two days with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, last week in Helsinki suggested in a Guardian interview a plan for a deadline of 20 April, by which time Putin should be required to comply with a full ceasefire. Stubb pointed out that a third golf partner on Saturday, the Republican senator Lindsey...

The secret to happiness? Doing pretty okay, I guess.For the eighth year in a row, Finland tops the “happiness” league tables — but that doesn’t mean its citizens are feeling the joy.Thursday marked 2025’s International Day of Happiness, a celebration established by the United Nations back in 2012 — which, in stark contrast with today, was a time when the organization seemingly had capacity to do stuff like inaugurate special days for “recognizing the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals.”In nearly every year since, Finland has topped the list as the happiest country in the world, and this...

Smiling man in sauna holding Finnish beer, towel wrapped around his waist- Beer fear brewing in Finland: strikes at top breweries spark supply warnings. Credit: Shutterstock, r.classen A bitter row over pay and working hours has left Finland’s top breweries facing industrial action this week – and the nation’s beer lovers sweating over their favourite pints. Nearly 1,000 workers across three of the country’s biggest beer producers – Hartwall, Olvi, and Sinebrychoff – have downed tools in a strike that’s set to last until March 28. And while breweries insist the taps won’t run dry, retailers are sounding the alarm...

Several European countries have updated their travel advisories for transgender travelers seeking to enter the U.S. amid President Donald Trump’s “two-sexes” executive order and the administration’s immigration crackdown. Finland, Denmark, the U.K. and Germany are all urging cautionary planning for transgender people when traveling to the U.S. “When applying for an ESTA or visa to the United States, there are two gender designations to choose from: male or female,” the Danish travel advisory said on its website. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is the system that screens passengers before they travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver...

The following is an excerpt from pp 682 - 690 of the: National Archives - JFK Assassination Records - Appendix 13: Biography of Lee Harvey Oswald Detailing Lee Harvey Oswald's U.S. Marine Corps activities for the period of 1957 - 1959, prior to his defection to the U.S.S.R.

Some European countries, as well as Canada, are warning their citizens who travel to the United States to strictly follow the country's entry rules or risk detention as the Trump administration cracks down on immigration enforcement. Denmark, the United Kingdom, Germany, Finland and Canada have revised their guidelines at a time when some travelers from these countries have been detained by immigration officials. Here is what to know about the advisories. Why are these countries issuing warnings? The heightened advisories come after citizens from European countries have been detained and deported by immigration officials while traveling to the United States....

The World Happiness Report 2025 ranks Finland as the happiest country globally for the eighth consecutive year. Released Thursday by the University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, the report also places Denmark, Iceland and Sweden in the top four. “Happiness isn’t just about wealth or growth – it’s about trust, connection and knowing people have your back," said Jon Clifton, the CEO of Gallup. "If we want stronger communities and economies, we must invest in what truly matters: each other.” While European countries dominate the top 20 in the ranking, there were some exceptions. Despite the war with Hamas, Israel...

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Finland on Thursday announced a new arms package for Ukraine amounting to around 200 million euros ($217 million) and pledged more defense cooperation with Kyiv. The aid package for Ukraine involves artillery ammunition, “which is in great need right now,” said Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen as he signed a memorandum of understanding alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov. Finland’s Defense Ministry said other contents of the aid package would not be divulged at this time. Häkkänen said that Finland remains committed to supporting Ukraine and shares Kyiv’s “view of the Russian threat in light of...

Putin’s Activation of ‘Iskander-M’ Ballistic Missile Is a Message to Obama http://observer.com/2016/10/putins-activation-of-iskander-m-ballistic-missile-is-a-message-to-obama/ Putin’s Activation of ‘Iskander-M’ Ballistic Missile Is a Message to Obama The KGB officer in the Kremlin seeks one last, grand strategic humiliation for our president before he leaves office By John R. Schindler • 10/07/16 11:00am Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Prince Albert II of Monaco (not pictured) at the Kremlin in Moscow on October 6, 2016. / AFP / POOL AND AFP / YURI KADOBNOV Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images It’s long been obvious that Vladimir Putin and his inner circle view Barack...

A remarkable piece of royal history has stepped out of the shadows, as Queen Mary of Denmark wore a 200-year-old tiara adorned with ancient stones for the very first time during a state banquet in Finland. The headpiece, originally owned by Queen Caroline Amalie, had been hidden away for over 140 years, making its debut a genuine showstopper at the glittering event hosted by Finnish President Alexander Stubb. Historic Cameo gemstones: Rare treasures from Pompeii resurface The Danish royal family revealed that the 11 gemstones on the slim gold band were collected by King Christian VIII himself, who ventured to...

This is the first time bombs have been dropped by United States strategic bombers, hitting targets in Rovajärvi firing range, a short 100 km from Finland's northern border with Russia. The huge American bomber planes were escorted into the Arctic Circle by Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighters on March 6, the same day as Donald Trump talked with his aides in Washington D.C. about a possible dramatic NATO policy shift. According to ABC News, Trump said about European NATO allies: "If they don't pay, I'm not going to defend them. No, I'm not going to defend them." Meanwhile, inside the Arctic...