Free Republic

Romanian F-16 fighter jets have shot down two drones over the country's territorial waters in the Black Sea. The two drones were jet-powered, belonging to the Geran-family of attack drones frequently used by Russia to blow up targets in Ukraine, according to Romania's Defense Ministry. The Ministry did not specify which nation the drones belonged to. People living in Tulcea County, which borders Ukraine, were woken by an alert message sent by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations at 1.54am warning of the aerial threat, The Ministry of National Defense reported that no intrusions into Romanian national airspace were reported...

Gas line reportedly hit during a training exercise, triggering a large blaze in Alberta At least four people have been killed and dozens more injured after a large explosion at one of Canada’s busiest military bases. A gas line was hit during a live-fire training exercise at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, in Alberta, at 4pm on Saturday, according to reports. Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, called the incident “one of the worst tragedies for Canadian forces on Canadian soil in peacetime”. At an address on Sunday, Mr Carney said: “Four service members have lost their lives and their...

My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table. Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations! Signing that document at this time will do that, and I can sign it later, or any time that I want! Perhaps more importantly, Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what they could be doing, and I want to...

Prime Minister Mark Carney tries to rally oil-rich province to stick with country SUNDRE, Alberta—This town nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is known for its annual pro rodeo in June, which includes a parade of cowboys and cowgirls on horseback, school marching bands and colorful floats celebrating the heritage of rural Alberta.This year, a feud erupted over a proposed parade float festooned with Alberta provincial flags. Volunteer parade organizers rejected the idea as too political amid campaigning around a referendum on Alberta staying in Canada or moving toward independence—and were then met with an onslaught of harassment...

Italy, like France, witnessed a day of protests on Saturday — several turning violent — as some Italian politicians blamed the extreme left for the lawlessness. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took to social media to condemn the unrest and back law enforcement. Meloni wrote on X: "Once again, the women and men of the Law Enforcement Forces have had to face the violence of criminals who, even through organized groups, exploit demonstrations to seek confrontation and sow chaos," she posted.

US President Donald Trump endorsed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, nine days before Israel's October 27 election, praising his leadership and warning that the United States would have to confront Iran without Israel's support if Netanyahu were replaced, he said in a Truth Social post on Sunday. "To the great people of Israel," Trump began, "Bibi Netanyahu has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combating the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its 51-year-old chant, “Death to Israel, Death to America! We will destroy the Little Satan and the Big Satan."The endorsement marks a...

Ukrainian attacks set an oil export terminal ablaze in St. Petersburg on Sunday, as Kyiv launched more than 1,000 drones across Russia in one of its largest ever aerial bombardments. The attack comes amid deepening tensions between Ukraine and Washington, with U.S. President Donald Trump criticizing Kyiv for its strikes on Russian oil infrastructure. One person was killed and five more were wounded in the attack, which sparked fires at both the Petersburg Oil Terminal and the city’s Ruchi oil depot, said local Gov. Alexander Beglov. A logistics center belonging to Russian retailer Ozon and a data center for local...

Australia and New Zealand have been ranked among the two fastest growing electric vehicle markets in the world since the start of the Iran war in late February triggered a fossil fuel supply crisis that is still being felt across the globe. The European energy and climate think tank Ember this week published a new analysis that shows that in the six months since the Hormuz energy crisis erupted, electric car fleets in oil-importing countries are estimated to have displaced 200 million barrels of crude oil, with a value of $US20 billion ($A29 billion). Fully electric cars (BEVs) are responsible...

The European anarchy has set the stage for a particularly disturbing scene in Milan, Italy, as one of Christianity's most recognizable landmarks became the backdrop for violent unrest. Flames rose from makeshift barricades, fireworks exploded, and thick smoke filled the square outside Milan Cathedral, the magnificent Gothic church that has stood at the heart of the city for centuries.Italy like France. Outside Milan Cathedral. A symbol of Christianity under siege. Fires, clashes, and devastation beneath its spires. This is no celebration — it is a collapse. They are burning the heart of Milan while everyone watches and records it. This...

Pope Leo spoke by phone Oct. 16 from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital with Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighting concern for communities in a Russian-occupied Ukrainian city suffering from worsening food scarcity. “During the conversation, the Holy Father expressed his deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in the city of Oleshky, in the Kherson region, and called for a ceasefire to allow the delivery of food and medical assistance, and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the civilian population,” the Holy See Press Office stated Oct. 16. While speaking with Putin, Pope Leo also “reaffirmed the Holy See’s commitment to promoting...

The roof collapsed onto lower floors as anti-government protests over cost of living entered their fourth week across France ... A historic building in the French town of Limoges, about three hours south of Paris, has been "largely lost" after it was set on fire by rioters as demonstrations continue across France. The Limoges Town Hall was built in 1883, and was made a historic landmark in 1975. "The roof has collapsed onto lower floors, except the west wing, and two-thirds of the exterior has already disappeared," ... Macron leaves office in six months. ... Masked groups also attempted to...

The French government has accused the far-left of stoking the riots that engulfed the nation on Saturday, resulting in widespread clashes with police, looting of shops, as well as vandalism and arson of government buildings. What began last month as a small protest over teacher shortages at a school in the Créteil suburb of Paris has become a full-on national revolt, with various leftist unions and other organisations also taking to the streets in cities across the country on Saturday, with an estimated 550,000 demonstrators. At a press conference in Paris, Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez said that unlike...

Violence broke out across France on Saturday during the latest day of demonstrations against education standards and the cost of living.At least 1,200 people were arrested during what the French government described as an "escalation in violence" alongside an estimated 550,000 taking to the streets.In Paris, there were significant clashes into the evening with riot police, who used tear gas and water cannon on crowds.Buildings were set alight in the capital and other areas, including in Limoges where a large fire in the town hall caused the roof to partly collapse.Looting broke out in several cities, with widespread vandalism targeted...

We’re in the eighth month of an on-and-off war, as we all know, with Iran, and since 2022, we have been watching Ukraine and Russia fight, and we have been supplying Ukraine. And one of the problems with these multifront wars, and we have been conducting operations against Iran as well as helping Israel supply its forces against the Houthis, Hamas, Hezbollah. Part of the problem is that in Ukraine, in Iran, in the Middle East, we have now, because of the use, cut our inventories of Patriot missiles by about 25% or 30%. And remember, we export them all...

French ​President Emmanuel Macron said ‌on Thursday that it was crucial to give Ukraine all the means it needs ​to defend and protect ​its civilian population and its ⁠infrastructure, after he met ​in Brussels with Ukrainian President ​Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Zelenskiy, writing on Telegram, described his conversation with Macron as "very ​much to the point" ​and said Ukraine valued France for "helping as ‌much ⁠as possible to find responses to Russian escalation."

The president signed an executive order to exempt Russia from most parts of a law he signed last monthPresident Trump is halting implementation of most of the sanctions that were to be imposed on Russia under a bipartisan bill he signed last month.The announcement came in an executive order on Friday night, and was part of a broader pivot by Trump toward courting Moscow as he seeks to end the war in Ukraine and keep energy prices under control ahead of the midterm elections.The law, which was championed by and named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), targets...

US President Donald Trump was asked Thursday whether he trusted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and appeared to dodge the question. “I don’t trust anybody, honestly,” Trump told the right-wing US cable news outlet Newsmax. “In the world of politics I don’t trust anybody.”Trump has recently been pressed several times on whether he will make an endorsement ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. On Tuesday, the US president claimed that he hadn’t thought about doing so, but that he might. Netanyahu has long touted his close ties with Trump in electoral campaigns. The US president also told Newsmax that Israeli officials...

The russians are facing non-stop military losses on Ukrainian soil. About 1,557,350 aggressor's troops were eliminated, 569,514 air targets of invaders were shot down, thousands of tanks, armored vehicles and trucks were destroyed by the defenders of Ukraine The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has published a new summary of total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 04.08.26. Find them in the infographics by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine:

[I used Grok to condense the YouTube transcript]: On September 30, Fly Dubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was attacked in the cockpit by co-pilot Hamam al-Hamami. He used a ruse of needing to pray to leave his seat, retrieved the crash axe from behind the captain’s position, and struck Captain Schmidt (an Indian national). Passengers intervened, subdued the attacker, and assisted in recovering the aircraft from a steep dive of roughly 14,000–16,000 feet. Deadheading crew members entered the cockpit and flew the aircraft to an airport in Saudi Arabia, where the attacker was arrested. Evacuation lights activated...

Congressional Democrats on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees are demanding President Donald Trump explain why Ukrainian forces’ access to SpaceX Starshield services was restricted earlier this week. In a letter first reported by MS NOW, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Co., ranking member of the Armed Services Committee; Adam Smith, D-Wash., ranking member of the Select Committee on Intelligence; Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.; and Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif., lambasted the Trump administration for refusing to respond to congressional inquiries on who directed changes to Ukraine’s access to Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink services. The lawmakers were not satisfied with...