Free Republic

Israel has taken the controversial decision to recognise the breakaway state of Somaliland as an independent nation, sparking condemnation from many other countries. China is the latest to condemn the decision, with its foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian telling reporters: "No country should encourage or support other countries' internal separatist forces for its own selfish interests." China outlined its position ahead of the UN Security Council holding an emergency session to discuss Israel's decision. Israel on Friday became the first country in the world to acknowledge Somaliland as a standalone republic, more than 30 years after the region declared independence...

It’s hard to be optimistic about the future of Gaza. The cease-fire agreement brokered by the Trump administration is holding, but Israel continues to occupy more than half of the territory, and its forces have killed more than 350 Palestinians since the truce was reached on Oct. 10. Hamas, meanwhile, is resurging in Gaza—replacing key commanders killed in the two-year war with Israel; executing its Palestinian opponents; and hiding weapons and fighters in its tunnel system, more than half of which remains intact. So, where does that leave Palestinians and Israelis? And what does it mean for the rest of...

Somalia will assume the rotating presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council in January 2026, placing the Horn of Africa nation at the helm of the world’s top security body for one month. The presidency rotates among all 15 council members according to Rule 18 of the Security Council’s Provisional Rules of Procedure, according to the UN. The rule requires member nations to hold the position in English alphabetical order, with each serving for one calendar month. Somalia currently serves as a non-permanent member of the council. Its two-year term runs through Dec. 31, 2027. As president, Somalia will...

The left-wing Irish government has vowed to push for the European Union to prohibit the use of anonymous social media accounts in what may set the ground for another battle over free speech with the Trump administration in the United States. Ireland will take over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union for a six month term starting in July and looks set to push for more restrictions on the internet, namely the imposition of ID-verification for social media accounts. The move would effectively end anonymity on social media, which critics have warned will hinder dissidents from...

Finland's prime minister apologised on Wednesday to citizens of Japan, China and South Korea after MPs sparked outrage by posting pictures of themselves making derogatory squinting gestures. The parliamentarians from the populist Finns Party, which is part of the right-wing coalition government, posted images on social media where they pulled back the corners of their eyes -- widely seen as a racist gesture targeting East Asian people. They claimed to have shared the pictures in support of the 2025 Miss Finland, Sarah Dzafce, who was stripped of her title last week for posting a similar picture on social media in...

An African-heritage lawmaker in France has sparked outrage by seemingly hailing the so-called ‘Great Replacement’ of the native people of the country by foreigners. Carlos Martens Bilongo, a member of the National Assembly for the far-left La France Insoumise (France in Rebellion/LFI), in an appearance on the “African Bookstore” podcast, appeared to boast that minorities are outbreeding the native French people, Le Journal du Dimanche reported. Without explicitly stating the groups he was discussing, the Val-d’Oise MP, who was born in France to Congolese (DRC) and Angolan parents, urged people to “show them that we are more numerous and that...

President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied allegations by Russia that Ukraine launched a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin's residences, and accused Moscow of trying to derail peace talks. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed Kyiv had launched an attack overnight using 91 long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on Putin's state residence in Russia's northwestern Novgorod region. Russia said it would now review its position in peace negotiations. It is not yet clear where Putin was at the time of the alleged attack. Zelensky dismissed the claim as "typical Russian lies", intended to give the Kremlin an excuse to...

The United States on Monday announced a $2 billion pledge for U.N. humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to slash U.S. foreign assistance and warns United Nations agencies to “adapt, shrink or die” in a time of new financial realities. The money is a small fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is a generous amount that will maintain the United States’ status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor. The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to individual agencies and priorities, a key...

Turkish Energy Minister, Alparslan Bayraktar said on Monday that Turkey intends to seal an energy exploration agreement with Syria in 2026 to assess possible offshore energy resources along the Syrian coast.In an interview with Turkish digital news platform GDH on Monday, Bayraktar said that Ankara and Damascus had already signed a general framework agreement on energy cooperation earlier this year."We plan to sign a specific offshore deal in 2026," he said. "After signing the deal, we may conduct seismic research to see what the field offers us".Bayraktar cautioned that the agreement does not necessarily mean Turkey would carry out drilling...

Public approval of political leaders reflects a mix of economic conditions, policy decisions, and broader voter sentiment. As 2025 comes to a close, approval ratings offer a snapshot of how leaders around the world are perceived heading into 2026.This visualization, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, ranks major global leaders by approval rating, based on surveys conducted between December 8 and 14, 2025, by Morning Consult.High Approval at the Top, but Fewer StandoutsIndia’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks first overall, with 71% approval heading into 2026. Although still well ahead of peers, his approval declined modestly from 75% in January 2025.A...

NOTE: This post is very long, and the videos included are even longer. If you choose to watch only one, I would suggest the third one that specifically covers the Trump class. A lot of people instantly hated the new Trump-class Battleship because it has the name "Trump" attached to it, and especially hated it because Trump wants to have a hand in the design for "aesthetic" reasons. After all, if Trump likes something, it must be a bad idea. But of course, that's a terrible reason to have an opinion about whether a weapons system, which would likely be...

Hamas is expected to elect a new leader within days or a few weeks, Saudi outlet Asharq reported Saturday, citing sources close to the Palestinian terror group’s leadership. However, the same sources also reportedly “ruled out holding general elections before the war comes to a complete end.” The two main candidates are former Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal and current Gaza politburo chief Khalil al-Hayya, the report said. Their main immediate policy difference relates to the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, according to the sources. Hayya, who is seen as close to Iran, was said to support the continuation of “armed conflict...

Commentator says nation should follow U.S. model of nation-building as U.K wrestles with 'imported disintergration'LONDON: A battle over British identity and the nation's flag is just the latest issue to widen the political divide in the United Kingdom in 2025. As the Labour government continues to face growing criticism over a number of issues, from cracking down on free speech to its migration policies, many Britons are concerned about their country's future.The issue simmered over the summer amid concerns of a growing rift between the ruling elites and members of the public centered on the nation’s flag. The debate, while...

PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday he believes both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin truly want peace, as he welcomed the “brave” Ukrainian leader for talks at his Florida resort.“The two leaders want it to end,” Trump said at the outset of the meeting at Mar-a-Lago. Before Zelenskyy arrived, Trump spoke with Putin by phone for more than an hour, and planned to speak with him again soon after.Greeting Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said of him: “This gentleman has worked very hard, and is very brave, and his people are very brave.”Zelenskyy,...

Horrifying stories are starting to surface. With hundreds of thousands of documents already released, and over a million more still to come, journalists and researchers will be occupied for a long time to come with the Jeffrey Epstein DOJ release. Every day, new stories are popping up, including some very distressing ones. Case in point: UK police have confirmed that they are seeking information from the FBI on unverified claims published in recently released court documents related to so-called ‘pedophile ring parties’. The claims were made by a US woman, who alleged that these parties involved high-profile figures in the...

'I want to pay tribute to Alaa's family and to all those that have worked and campaigned for this moment,' Starmer said. 'Alaa's case has been a top priority for my government since we came to office. I'm grateful to President Sisi for his decision to grant the pardon.' Per his X Acct: “ I Fu&$ing hate white people, they don't understand sharing or community. a blight on the earth they are. good thing they stopped breeding.”

The Defense Ministry says Iron Beam is now operational at scale, offering low-cost laser interception of drones, rockets, missiles, and mortars, and reducing reliance on costly interceptors.The Defense Ministry on Sunday announced that the Iron Beam paradigm-shattering laser anti-air defense has been rolled out in the field. Already in June, the ministry and Rafael, the lead company of multiple defense tech companies involved, including Elbit and others, had announced that Lite Beam, a smaller relative of Iron Beam, was operational. In mid-September, the Defense Ministry announced that Iron Beam was operational and that a full series of batteries would be...

Peak oil once struck fear into policymakers, businesses and consumers as a looming moment when the world might suck the last drops of black gold from the ground, like a straw reaching the bottom of a milkshake. The idea was popularized in the 1950s by geologist M. King Hubbert, who warned that US oil production would follow a bell‑shaped curve and eventually hit an unavoidable peak as fields matured and declined. Climate change has flipped the narrative. Instead of the fear of scarcity, the debate now centers on when demand will finally peak as the shift to electric vehicles (EV)...

For over a year, Elías Padilla had been saving up to make the journey from Honduras to the United States as an undocumented immigrant. As an Uber driver in the snarled streets of the capital, Tegucigalpa, it hasn't been easy for him to put money aside. On bad days he makes as little as $12 (£9) in 12 hours. Now, though, his plans are on hold. The images of undocumented immigrants in major US cities being dragged away by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, their wrists in zip-ties, have deterred at least one would-be immigrant in Central America from...

After its emergence from the Soviet collapse, the new Russia grappled with the complex issue of developing a national identity that could embrace the radical contradictions of Russia’s past and foster integration with the West while maintaining Russian distinctiveness. The Ukraine War has significantly changed public attitudes toward this question, and led to a consolidation of most of the Russian population behind a set of national ideas. This has contributed to the resilience that Russia has shown in the war, and helped to frustrate Western hopes that economic pressure and heavy casualties would undermine support for the war and for...