Free Republic

Did anyone watch the New York City mayor's debate? I saw the rerun later, and it's clear to me that Mamdani is one step closer to winning the election. Let's check this from Newsweek: On Thursday before the debate, Betfair gave Mamdani a 90 percent chance of victory, but this dropped to an 88 percent chance once it was complete. Over the same period, Cuomo saw his chances of victory improve from 11 percent to 12 percent. However, prior to the debate, bookmaker Star Sports gave Mamdani an 80 percent chance of victory, which improved in the immediate aftermath of...

The Russian leader noted that the reaction of Western elites on a new interpretation of events was primitive and straightforwardMOSCOW, October 17. /TASS/. Western elites spent years teaching Russia about the importance of freedom of speech and competition, and now they are trying to ban and block all of that, President Vladimir Putin said in a speech marking the 20th anniversary of RT. "For years, they [Western elites] taught us how to live, how the media should work, how to understand democracy and what democracy is. What true freedom of speech is. They convinced us of the importance of competition,...

The US pledges to support Panama in deportation flights for illegal immigrants on their way to the US border.. DARIEN GAP, Panama—Thousands of migrants streamed into Panama through the treacherous jungle of the Darién Gap last week, with many fearing that the route will be shut down, thereby dashing their hopes of reaching the United States. The influx of migrants intent on crossing the U.S. southwest border unlawfully came as Panama’s new president, Raúl Mulino, took steps to stop the flow through the Darién Gap. On July 1, the same day that he took office, Mr. Mulino forged a deal...

It is difficult to imagine a greater shock than seeing the Hamas slogan “from the river to the sea” projected onto Big Ben in London. It flows in large letters on the most iconic tower in the United Kingdom, perhaps the world. The screening was authorized by the Metropolitan Police, who had already allowed parades through the streets of London with the flags of ISIS, the Taliban and Hamas after October 7th. “The Islamists are in charge of Britain,” wrote former Home Secretary Suella Braverman in the Telegraph. “October 7 transformed the idea of liberating Palestine 'from the river to...

Dublin, Ireland’s City Council, in a unanimous vote, agreed to fly the Palestinian flag over Dublin’s City Hall as a display of support for the people of Gaza.

Hundreds of Jewish people headed to Tuesday’s pro-Israel rally in DC were left stranded when bus drivers staged “a deliberate and malicious walk-off,’’ a major Jewish organization said. The “anti-protest” left a charted flight from Detroit — about 300 people — on the Dulles Airport tarmac for about 11 hours before being sent back home, causing them to miss the entire March for Israel event. “I thought it was nuts, I thought it was crazy that we’re blocked from getting to the rally,” Jonathan Kaufman told The Post, adding that there were “frantic” calls to find out what was happening...

I'm not saying I was ever primed to go for a dip in the Antarctic seas. I'm just saying that now I'm definitelynot going there: Scientists trawling on board a research vessel off the coast of Antarctica have caught a new undersea creature — one with 20 arms and a distinctive body, shaped a little bit like a strawberry. ... Although similar to other invertebrate ocean animals, like starfish and sea cucumbers, feather stars are distinct both in their 'large' size and 'otherworldly appearance' when swimming, the researchers said. The sheer horrific insanity of this thing is just something to...

There is so much wrong with America’s cities, it’s hard to see why any contributing member of society would live and/or work in one of them. Some of the issues arise from far-Left local governance while others are generated by more widespread Leftist policy. These are coupled with an organic workforce evolution, as the USA transitions from an industry-based to an information-based economy. The result is urban areas caught in a downward spiral — and, as with any sinking vessel, threatening to suck everyone nearby down with them. First, quick refresher on the compounding problems of urban areas. Chief among...

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — In the heart of Jakarta, the grand Istiqlal Mosque was built with a vision for it to stand for a thousand years. The mosque was conceived by Soekarno, Indonesia’s founding father, and was designed as an impressive symbol for the country’s independence. Its seven gates — representing the seven heavens in Islam — welcome visitors from across the archipelago and the world into the mosque’s lofty interior. But they don’t just see the light here. It fuels them. A major renovation in 2019 installed upwards of 500 solar panels on the mosque’s expansive roof, now a...