Free Republic

The Israelis pulled off the most brilliant offensive in modern military history; the President orchestrated a genius misdirection; Iran’s regime is on its back feet from which it will not recover. In wartime it’s particularly difficult to ascertain what’s happening. Governments have a natural and healthy instinct to hide from public eyes what is going on, even those fully democratic ones which in peace have some constraints on official censorship. Nevertheless, the fact that so many people around the world have video-capable mobile phones and access to the internet makes it harder to hide what is happening. All week long...

Russia, if you believe the Kremlin, is eager for peace with Ukraine. -snip- For more than a year, Russian forces have made incremental but glacial gains, seizing roughly 1,500 square miles of Ukrainian territory in 2024 – the equivalent of 0.7 percent of the country’s total landmass. But the cost in human blood has been enormous. According to Ukrainian estimates, Russia suffered 434,000 casualties last year: roughly 270 killed or wounded for every square mile seized. Now, however, momentum may be shifting. Last month, Russian forces advanced at the fastest pace since last November, seizing an average of 5.5 square...

Canada is launching a billboard offensive in its trade war with Uncle Sam, targeting highways in 12 red states with messages like “tariffs are a tax on your grocery bill.” “We are launching ads in the US to make sure all Americans know that tariffs are taxes on everything they buy,” Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly said on X. The Great White North is calling it an “education campaign.” “The purpose is to increase the understanding of the American public and to counter misinformation,” said John Babcock, spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, who put up the billboards in...

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Russian forces are preparing to launch a fresh military offensive in the coming weeks to maximize the pressure on Ukraine and strengthen the Kremlin’s negotiating position in ceasefire talks, Ukrainian government and military analysts said. The move could give Russian President Vladimir Putin every reason to delay discussions about pausing the fighting in favor of seeking more land, the Ukrainian officials said, renewing their country’s repeated arguments that Russia has no intention of engaging in meaningful dialogue to end the war.

A Republican lawmaker from Colorado expressed shock at being told by Democratic colleagues that he had to remove a sticker supporting the Second Amendment from his laptop while in the state's House chamber. "I had to cover up this, they couldn't stand my sticker," Colorado Republican state Rep. Ken DeGraaf said during remarks on the state's House floor, pointing to paper covering up a sticker in support of the Second Amendment on a laptop he carried with him to the chamber. "It said ‘shall not be infringed’ and signed ‘2-A’ and that was considered offensive, which I understand would be...

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were expecting a consequential but standard Oval Office appearance with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. Their appearance was anything but routine. The meeting to announce a rare earth materials agreement between Ukraine and the United States as part of a pathway to peace between Ukraine and Russia deteriorated quickly after a combative Zelensky protested U.S. desire to draw down the long war. “The president and vice president were caught off guard by Zelensky’s offensive antics,” a source familiar told Breitbart News. Zelensky suggested Ukraine had been fighting the war alone, insisting...

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed a new Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk region and said that North Korean troops were fighting alongside Russian forces there. “In the areas of the Kursk operation, new assaults have taken place,” Zelenskyy said during his Friday address, adding, “Russia has once again deployed North Korean soldiers alongside its troops.” According to Zelenskyy, a “significant number” of enemy troops were destroyed. He gave no details but said the losses were in the hundreds. Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Saturday that it had repelled a Ukrainian counterattack in the Kursk region. Russia...

John Hughes, the great bard of 1980s teen movies? That's what one reviewer said. Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in pink, National Lampoons Vacation, Home Alone, Ferris Bueller's day off on and on with movies that make me think of some NOT teenaged guy, but a pervert living out his sexual fantasies vicariously through some teens used as pawns by him in his movies forced to act as if this is the real way teens think and behave. Only they don't, didn't. How do or did people find this guys films charming? The only good things in them are...

Hollywood-controlled media are rolling out the red carpet for Kamala Harris this week, welcoming the Democrat presidential candidate to a range of friendly media appearances as part of a planned offensive to enhance her likeability in the final stretch of the election cycle. Kamala Harris is set to appear on ABC’s The View, where hosts including Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg have regularly sung her praises; CBS’ late-night show with Stephen Colbert, another ally; and Howard Stern, who recently called Trump supporters “stupid.” The aforementioned shows are all known for their soft-ball questions when it comes to Democrat politicians, seldom...

An air unit formed in the days when pilots were considered knights and gentlemanly combat ruled the sky has been stripped of its historical nickname after fears it could be offensive to Muslim communities. The Royal Air Force’s 14 Squadron was forced to drop the “Crusader” title after an official complaint was filed against the unit. According to a news report, a single complaint sparked a campaign against the nickname. Aviators and crewmen were told to remove all instances of the name around their hangars. “We have to take down every mention of Crusaders from our base,” one aviator told...

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has officially approved plans for an “offensive in Lebanon” against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terror group illegally occupying southern Lebanon that has been firing at northern Israel since October. In a statement, the IDF said: Today (Tuesday), the Commanding Officer of the Northern Command, MG Ori Gordin, and the Head of the Operations Directorate (J3), MG Oded Basiuk, approved operational plans and held a joint situational assessment in the Northern Command. As part of the situational assessment, operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of...

The '70s were half a century ago, and that fact is especially apparent when you look back at the media of the time. Watch a movie or TV show from that decade or listen to a song, and you won't just notice outdated fashion, interiors, and slang, but you'll also come across plots, characters, and words that are offensive, especially by the standards of 2023. When it comes to music in particular, there are plenty of songs from the '70s that are offensive to listeners now. 1 "Brown Sugar" by The Rolling Stones (1971)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces began a renewed ground assault on Ukraine’s northeast, killing and injuring several and forcing more than 1,700 civilians to evacuate from the Kharkiv region, local officials said Saturday. Artillery, mortar, and aerial bombardments hit more than 30 different towns and villages, leaving at least three people dead and five others injured, said Kharkiv governor, Oleh Syniehubov. Ukraine rushed reinforcements to the Kharkiv region on Friday to hold off a Russian attempt to breach local defenses, authorities said.

Israel has described Iran's unprecedented 350-missile attack as a 'declaration of war' and confirmed it has approved plans for 'offensive and defensive action'. The country's president Isaac Herzog insisted that Israel did not want a war but suggested they would retaliate after Iran's audacious airstrike early on Sunday. He said it was 'about time the world faces this empire of evil in Tehran' and makes it clear that its behaviour is 'unacceptable'. President Herzog told Sky News: 'It's a declaration of war... we are considering all options and I'm quite confident we will take the necessary steps to protect and...

Here are 10 key reasons experts say U.S. support for Ukraine should be continued: 1. Putin's aggression must be stopped. 2. Putin's atrocities need a response. 3. Russia is targeting evangelical Christians for persecution. 4. Ukraine wants only to regain its sovereign territory. 5. Russia has not "won" the war. 6. Russia is rearming for a larger war. 7. Most Ukraine aid goes to U.S. contractors. 8. Europe fears a coming attack on NATO. 9. Support for Ukraine signals to China: Do not invade Taiwan. 10. Give Ukraine aid to let Trump bring peace.

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf is a vocal proponent of his nation’s new hate crime law — which has placed “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling in the crosshairs — but that didn’t stop citizens from using its provisions to report him for hate speech. According to the BBC, thousands of complaints had been made under the new law’s provisions — namely one aimed to stop people from “stirring up hatred” based on certain protected classes — within hours of it taking effect. The news outlet also reported that a large number of the complaints were against Yousaf himself, mostly relating...

Gov. Kathy Hochul inserted herself into a culture clash Tuesday, saying she’s considering banishing artwork of Native Americans in the state Capitol building that is deemed offensive to tribal people. Hochul’s push to remove negative depictions of Native Americans in artwork comes amid the ongoing campaign to remove statues of explorer Christopher Columbus from the public square or government buildings over his treatment of indigenous people. New York education officials in 2022 ordered school districts to ditch Native American mascots deemed racist. There’s a big bust of Columbus — a revered figure among many Italian Americans — chiseled into the...

This two part series in the Washington Post is a must read because of what it tells the reader about the abysmal performance of the White House and the Department of Defense. I found it genuinely shocking. I knew that Biden, Austin and Milley were bad. I just did not appreciate how bad. On a scale of 1 to 10, with a 10 marking the biggest fuck up in history, these guys rate an 11. Part two, In Ukraine, a war of incremental gains as counteroffensive stalls, pushes the false narrative that what is happening on the ground in Ukraine...

After a period of doubt as IDF troops idled on the Gaza border for weeks, Israel’s government has shown a serious commitment to the ground invasion of the Hamas-run enclave. Three divisions are inside the northern half of the Gaza Strip, cutting the territory in half and making steady progress toward the heart of Gaza City. A month into the war, launched in the wake of the Hamas massacres on October 7, the military and Israel’s political leadership boast of significant achievements against Hamas. Israel’s allies continue to support its attempts to destroy the terrorist organization, and the unity government...

Ukrainian soldiers are racing against time to achieve a breakthrough in the southeast before the rainy and cold weather kicks in and worsens fighting conditions, which could happen as soon as next month. The counteroffensive is unlikely to end just because of poor weather, but it is expected to complicate the fighting and slow down operations. Ukraine is stressing the weather will not impact the overall military operation, but some analysts expect the war could soon shift into a new phase. Mathieu Boulegue, a nonresident senior fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the Center for European Policy...