Free Republic

The American relationship with NATO has never been more strained. Despite decades upon decades of propping up Europe's defense while its leaders spend all their money on welfare programs and mass migration, the United States is now having to fight over something as mundane as transiting the airspace of its alleged "allies."According to President Donald Trump, France denied the use of its airspace to American cargo planes transporting munitions to Israel as part of Operation Epic Fury. 🚨Trump: “The Country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory. France has been...

US President Donald Trump has asked European allies for a lot lately – the use of military bases, the potential relocation of missile defense systems and generally stronger support for US military action against Iran. Many responses have been lukewarm, with allies offering limited defensive support but also repeatedly calling for de-escalation. But increasingly, White House requests have been met with a firm “no.” Or nie, non, rifiuto. This week, Italy denied a US request for aircraft to land at a military base in Sicily, according to state broadcaster RAI on Tuesday. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has perhaps been...

Italy has denied the use of an airbase in Sicily to US military planes carrying weapons for the war in Iran after the US did not follow the required authorisation procedure. A source at the Italian defence ministry confirmed a report in Corriere della Sera that “some US bombers” had been due to land at Sigonella – one of seven US navy bases in Italy – before heading to the Middle East, but that use of the base had been denied because the US sought authorisation to land only while the aircraft were already en route to Sicily. The source...

Pamela Genini, a 29-year-old model and entrepreneur who also appeared on reality TV in Italy, was stabbed to death on her balcony in Milan in October last year, allegedly by her wealthy, 52-year-old ex-boyfriend, who’d been stalking her and begging her to take him back, according to officials. When her body was being moved to her final resting place on Monday, cemetery workers became alarmed when they realized the coffin would not close properly — and there were loose screws, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. The coffin was opened — and the stunning model’s head was missing. Fresh silicone...

The Western Alliance was already fraying long before the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began earlier this month. But the collective refusal of European leaders to even entertain the idea of assisting the U.S. in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open – and their personal insults against President Donald Trump – may have fractured the relationship beyond repair. As Iranian forces continue to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which 20-30 percent of all global crude oil flows, President Trump has called on European nations to form an international coalition to help reopen the strait....

Iranian attacks have knocked out 17% of Qatar’s liquefied natural ⁠gas export capacity, causing an estimated $20 billion in lost annual revenue and threatening supplies to Europe ​and Asia, QatarEnergy’s CEO told ​Reuters on Thursday. Saad ​al-Kaabi said two of Qatar’s 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids (GTL) facilities were damaged in the unprecedented strikes. The repairs will sideline 12.8 ⁠million tons ‌per year of LNG for three to ⁠five years, he said. “I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that Qatar would be - Qatar and the region - in such an attack, especially...

LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - Leading ⁠nations ⁠in Europe ⁠said in a joint statement ​with Japan on Thursday they would ‌take steps to stabilise ‌energy markets and were ⁠ready ⁠to join "appropriate efforts" to ensure safe passage ​through the Strait of Hormuz. The statement from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the ​Netherlands and Japan, condemned attacks by ⁠Iran and ⁠called on it ⁠to ​halt its actions immediately. It also said ​they would ⁠work with certain energy producing nations to increase output and stabilise markets. "We express our readiness ⁠to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe ⁠passage through the Strait," the...

As a general rule, once a city erects turnstiles to tourist attractions which were once free to visit, it is time to go elsewhere. Never more so than in the case of Rome. Last week the Italian capital introduced a €2 charge to visit the Trevi Fountain. Tight-fisted tourists like me will still be able to see the Trevi from a distance – it happens to stand in a public street. The charge will be only for sad Instagrammers who want to get close enough to chuck their coins in the water. The city’s tourism department has suggested the fee...

La Brújula Verde reports that the excavation of a necropolis in southwestern Italy by researchers from the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Provinces of Salerno and Avellino has revealed 34 Samnite burials dated to between the fourth and third centuries B.C. The graves were grouped by family, and most of them consisted of a pit covered with tiles arranged like a small roof. Two of the burials had chambers lined with travertine blocks, while another had a tufa chamber. Graves holding the remains of men also contained spearheads or javelin points. Rings and brooches for fastening...

...the idea behind the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project, which aims to accurately answer a simple question: since we couldn't sequence Leonardo's DNA in the 1500s, are his bones at Amboise Castle really his?To get there, the team plans to compare DNA from Leonardo's remains with profiles from his living relatives -- and, if the samples check out, assemble more of Leonardo's genome.Because the legendary Renaissance artist had no children, researchers Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato of the Leonardo Da Vinci Heritage Association started with old-school genealogy, publishing Genìa Da Vinci. Genealogy and Genetics for Leonardo's DNA. Their tree follows...

For generations, Italy has followed a simple rule called jus sanguinis, or “right of blood.” In practice, it meant that if you had an Italian ancestor and could document the family line, you could claim Italian citizenship, sometimes even several generations later. That approach made Italy’s system one of the most generous citizenship policies in Europe. It allowed millions of people in places like the United States, Argentina, Brazil, and Australia to reconnect with their roots and apply for an Italian passport. Now, that long-standing system may be about to change in a major way. What the Court Decided On...

In a public statement released Monday, Sturm Ruger said Beretta is attempting to “stealthily” gain control of it through discounted share purchases and strategic board appointments. Ruger further alleged its proposals for a collaborative business relationship with Beretta were rebuffed, and that the company threatened to “go to war” if its takeover demands were not met. “Beretta sought to buy Ruger stock at a 15% discount from Ruger in a private placement and to obtain disproportionate board representation and voting power that would give it near-veto power over important matters,” the company said. “Ruger’s board will continue to protect Ruger’s...

CDC Update: Tularemia Outbreak in Prairie Dogs in Texas Tuesday, August 06, 2002 4:15 PM Eastern US http://www.videonewswire.com/CDC/080602/event.html?id=7237

Fireman in a raft pulling a wolf out of a river After being lifted from the water, the wolf was immediately examined by a team of veterinarians. Photo credit. Vigili del Fuoco Firefighters in San Giovanni Lupatoto, near Verona, sprang into action on Wednesday after an animal was spotted struggling in a local canal. The rapid response by emergency crews drew attention from residents and highlighted the challenges of rescuing wildlife in urban-adjacent areas. The operation involved careful coordination with veterinarians to ensure the animal’s safety once it was removed from the water. Officials praised the swift action of the...

Estimates suggest that at least 370-400 people have safely sought refuge in Azerbaijan after crossing the Astara border checkpoint. Some 100 of those were Azerbaijani nationals with the rest being expats from 19 different countries. The Astara Border Crossing between Iran and Azerbaijan has seen increased traffic over the last few days by foreign nations, as many continue to seek an exit from Tehran amid continued US and Israeli attacks. The increased crossing traffic comes after the Azerbaijani government announced on Saturday that it would open the crossing to enable its nationals trapped in Iran to safely evacuate, as well...

France's official reaction to the Iran War is one of opposition to Iran's nuclear program and its human rights record... On Friday the European Commission unilaterally and provisionally implementing the MERCOSUR trade deal vehemently opposed by French farmers. The deal will allow France to be flooded with agricultural products from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay... A tweaking of the French cabinet this week the departure of the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati... A diplomatic standoff this week between French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and US Ambassador Charles Kushner. The row over US government social media posting in the name...

A malfunction at a local winery caused 1,000 liters of ready-to-be-bottled wine to leak into the water pipes. The glitch lasted about three hours and impacted about 20 homes, said Giorgia Mezzacqui, deputy mayor of Castelvetro, about 10 miles south of Modena. The local government posted on its Facebook page that the leak didn't pose any health risks. The malfunction was caused by a faulty valve in the washing circuit within the bottling line. Lambrusco Grasparossa, a local specialty, seeped through the town's water lines due to its pressure, the winery said in a statement obtained by CNN.

The 40-year-old man was stabbed by his wife after a misunderstanding while watching a Napoli game at their home, according to Italian media. A Napoli supporter was allegedly stabbed by his wife at their home after an argument broke out when he lost his temper while watching a match on TV, Italian media reported. The 40-year-old became frustrated as his side lost 2-1 to Atalanta in Serie A on Sunday, according to L'Unione Sarda daily newspaper. He reportedly shouted insults at the TV after a controversial VAR decision overturned a penalty that had been awarded to Napoli. The man's 35-year-old...

Millions of acres of farmland across the country are privately owned, but a small share of it is foreign-owned land sitting idle in many areas. That’s according to new U.S. Department of Agriculture data which shows just how much of the nation’s agricultural land is owned by other countries. The USDA‘s online portal reveals that more than 45 million acres of land are owned by foreign countries, with an original purchase value of over $38 billion. Our neighbor to the north, Canada, has the most agricultural acreage in the United States, at 15.35 million acres. John Hewlett, a farm and...

President Donald Trump phoned Team USA men's hockey stars after they beat rivals Canada to secure a first Winter Olympics gold medal in nearly half a century. Mike Sullivan's team came from behind to beat their bitter rivals 2-1 in overtime - just days after the US women's team won gold in exactly the same fashion. Sunday morning's clash with Canada in Milan captured the attention of fans on both sides of the border, including in the White House. And after landing a first gold in men's hockey since 1980, Team USA received a congratulatory call from the President, who...