Free Republic

Taiwan’s executive branch pitched a $6.6 billion budget last week for the procurement of more than 200,000 domestically-made unmanned systems designed to defend the island’s shores. The proposal will cover up to 208,200 one-way attack drones, 1,446 reconnaissance drones and 1,320 unmanned surface vessels, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense on Friday. A social media post on Sunday from Joseph Wu, the Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council, claimed that the budget will create an “unmanned shield.” Amid concerns of a potential invasion from China and an increasingly capable People’s Liberation Army, Taipei has turned to unmanned systems to...

The Trump administration on Wednesday sent Congress a long-awaited supplemental funding package to help cover the cost of the Iran war. The administration is asking for about $87.6 billion to address "urgent needs" related to the Iran war, as well as other funding to respond to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa and provide support for American farmers. The request will face an uphill battle and puts vulnerable Republicans in a politically tricky position, since backing it could be seen as support for the unpopular war. It's all but certain to face stiff opposition from Democrats, putting its passage in...

Peruvian radical leftist lawmaker and presidential candidate Roberto Sánchez announced on Tuesday that he will not recognize the victory of conservative former first lady Keiko Fujimori, as Peru’s slow vote-counting process nears its end. Peru has marked more than three weeks without any final results from the extremely close June 7 presidential runoff election between Fujimori and Sánchez. The election, much like its first round, has been marred by a slow vote-counting process by National Electoral Processes Office (ONPE). As of Wednesday morning, with 99.859 percent of all votes counted, Fujimori holds a 43,386-vote lead against Sánchez. In the past...

TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted an airstrike in northwest Syria, June 19, that resulted in the death of a senior ISIS leader. The precision strike killed Ali Husayn al-‘Ulaywi and is part of ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt and eliminate terrorists seeking to attack Americans abroad or the U.S. homeland. CENTCOM forces continue to work alongside regional partners. “CENTCOM and our partners remain committed to rooting out remaining remnants of ISIS to ensure its enduring defeat,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “We will continue to defend the U.S. homeland, our service members, and allies and...

The 14-point text is unambiguous on the point the White House is most eager to fog. It commits the United States, "with regional partners," to develop a "plan with at least USD 300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran" -- $3 billion of which has, according to the unsurpassed journalist, Lee Smith, already been sent to Iran through by way of the United Arab Emirates. The president has called reports of that figure "fake news" and insisted nobody is putting up "ten cents." The clause nevertheless sits prominently in the document he signed....

People have also mischaracterized the deal itself. This is not the end of the negotiations or the war. This is the very beginning of the problems for Iran. Once the kinetic part of the war stops, they have to face the people, and the people are angry, argues Victor Davis Hanson on today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for a massive increase in global climate spending, arguing that governments and financial institutions must devote significantly more resources to addressing climate-related challenges. In a special address at London Climate Action Week on Monday, Guterres said that governments must invest more heavily in climate-related initiatives. “We must do far more to protect people and communities from the here-and-now effects of climate chaos,” Guterres said. “Because even at full speed, we cannot outrun climate change. Its impacts are already here, compounding and cascading.” Guterres also highlighted Africa’s energy potential while arguing that the continent receives...

The Scottish Government revealed all prisoners would be segregated by biological sex with immediate effect today, regardless of which gender they identify with. It comes four days after a judicial review ruled that the Scottish Prison Service’s policy of segregated prisoners by gender-identity rather than sex was illegal. And three days after SPS chief executive Linda Pollock wrote a memo to staff insisting “the admissions practice remains in place” while bosses “carefully consider” the ruling. The SNP government then used a planted backbench written question in parliament, in the name of former SNP minister George Adam, to put their capitulation...

There's a major heatwave taking place across most of Europe this week. Here's visualization showing the "temperature anomalies" which have driven temperatures in many European capitals close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (and in some cases over that). Europe is melting! The size, intensity, and longevity of this #heatwave is enormous. Peak temperatures will reach 45°C / 100-115°F this week in #France . You are looking at temperature anomalies in the cloud layer over the next 2 weeks, which peak at +20°C. #Europe is Earth’s fastest warming continent, and European heat extremes are increasing faster than models project they should, likely...

Acting DNI Bill Pulte has fired over 50 career Deep State intel officials so far. “The Deep State firings have begun” a source told CNN on Monday. On Tuesday, CBS News reported that Pulte fired six political intelligence staffers and sent 45 others to their home agencies. It was previously reported that Trump wanted to reduce the size of the federal intel agencies. CBS News reported: Just over 50 career and political intelligence staff at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have lost their jobs since Bill Pulte became the agency’s acting director, Friday. Six career and political...

The U.S. and Iran presented differing narratives Tuesday on whether U.N. inspectors could visit nuclear sites and if Tehran had any interest in buying American crops, underscoring a complex start to the 60-day negotiations. Mr. Trump insisted Tuesday that Iran would agree to inspections of its nuclear sites as part of peace talks “despite their protestations and false statements to the contrary.” “If they did not agree to this, there would be no further negotiations!” Mr. Trump said on social media. But on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei denied that Tehran agreed to accept visits from the International...

The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) is set to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors who have been stranded in the Gulf because of the US-Israel war against Iran. IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez said the "large-scale operation" would be carried out in cooperation with Iran, Oman, the US, other coastal states in the region and the maritime industry. "We have secured the necessary safety guarantees and have thoroughly verified the conditions for safe navigation to support these operations," he added. An interim deal was signed last week to end the conflict, but both the US and Iran continue to clash on...

Former Political Prisoner & Popular Scottish Comedian, Count Dankula, Responds To Keir Starmer's Resignation, And He Reveals How UK's RICU Unit Uses Nudging Operations & Psyops To Target The Families Of Migrant Attack Victims To Control What They Say & Influence Public Opinion! "Too Many People Are Waking Up, And The Propaganda Isn't Working Anymore! The Conditioning Is Being Broken, But I Think Things Are Going To Get A Lot Uglier Before They Get Better!" Transcript SummaryThe discussion centers on perceived failures of UK government narratives and policies around immigration, crime, free speech, and public order. Speakers claim public awareness...

The mass censorship regime the U.K. put in place does not allow the British people to talk about major crises in the public square. United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation Monday morning after less than two years of overseeing civilizational decline in Britain. But just because the country got rid of “the worst Prime Minister of the worst Government of the worst party,” as one member of Parliament said, does not mean it is very much closer to solving its anti-Western crises like censorship and mass migration.Starmer was the U.K.’s sixth prime minister in less than a...

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is challenging defense companies to develop a new generation of low-cost air-defense interceptors within a year, a move that could reshape one of the military's most expensive and strategically important weapons markets, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday. The initiative, which will be presented to roughly 100 companies ranging from defense startups to established contractors, reflects growing concern that the Pentagon's traditional approach to weapons acquisition has produced systems that are highly capable but difficult to manufacture quickly and affordably at scale. For investors, the effort could create opportunities for defense technology companies focused on mass production,...

While there was initially talk of other potential challengers in a leadership contest over the summer, it appears that Burnham is set for a coronation rather than a battle, with top rival Health Minister Wes Streeting quickly announcing his support for Burnham after Starmer’s resignation. The liberal legacy media was also quick to fawn over the supposed political saviour, with the BBC even chartering a helicopter simply to cover his train journey from Manchester to London with bated breath. The United Kingdom is set to see its seventh prime minister in the past ten years, and it appears that man...

DogeDesigner @cb_doge BREAKING: Elon Musk calls for the arrest of Ro 'the Robber' Khanna. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a USAID official and several executives pleaded guilty in a bribery scheme involving more than $550 million in contracts. Yet Ro Khanna is claiming Elon should be investigated over DOGE spending cuts. The standard applied by DOGE was very simple: if taxpayer money is being sent as aid, there should be a way to verify who received it and make sure the money isn’t being stolen or misused. The DOJ is uncovering corruption connected to USAID contracts, Ro Khanna...

Israel secretly deployed a small contingent of forces to Somaliland earlier this year following its recognition of the breakaway territory, a senior Somali government official revealed to Middle East Eye (MEE) on Monday."According to our intelligence reports, the Israeli military selected Israeli soldiers of African heritage, especially Ethiopians, so as not to draw attention to themselves and to blend in more easily with the local community," the senior Somali official stated.via ReutersThe Somali official said that Israel had deployed a group of 50 soldiers to Somaliland shortly after the recognition and the resumption of the war on Iran in late...

Post See new posts Conversation Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh 🚨 HOLY CRAP! ICE has just arrested an Illinois teacher in a Tren de Aragua TRIPLE M*RDER CASE, MASS SHOOTING Democrats RELEASED HER FROM JAIL She reportedly came in 2021, then overstayed her visa, and ASSISTED the killings 🤯 "She drove 2 gunmen affiliated with TdA...where they allegedly opened fire." She ALSO reportedly helped them FLEE THE SCENE "3 killed, several injured." GET THEM ALL OUT! This is why ICE and DHS need maximum fun. 🇺🇸 Thankfully, the gunmen were DEPORTED. VIDEO AT LINK............

Iran has denied a claim by Vice-President JD Vance that it will allow nuclear inspectors back into the country, after the first round of talks between Washington and Tehran to reach a final deal to end the war. Following negotiations in Switzerland, Vance said discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could be happening "as soon as today". But Iran's foreign ministry told state media that Tehran had made "no new commitments" on nuclear inspections. It came as the US temporarily waived sanctions, allowing Iran to sell oil in US dollars for the first time in decades.