Free Republic

"Russian losses are beginning to approach around 180,000 dead or wounded soldiers," Norwegian Chief of Defence Eirik Kristoffersen said in an interview with TV2,...Norway, a country bordering Russia, has been a member of NATO since its founding in 1949. "Ukrainian losses are probably over 100,000 dead or wounded. In addition Ukraine has about 30,000 civilians who died in this terrible war," said the Norwegian general.

Russia’s “nuclear war” rhetoric appears every few months, on a kind of cycle. Whenever the West and Ukraine appear to be winning and Ukraine is being strengthened, then Russia will roll out this talk. It will also mobilize other voices to make it seem that Ukraine isn’t interested in “peace” and that Ukraine is “escalating.” This terminology is misplaced because it is Russia that escalated and invaded Ukraine. However, Moscow wants to shift focus to what the West is doing...

“The Inflation Reduction Act has to do with your ability to get tax credits for buying — if you need a new coffee machine, a new washer, a new refrigerator,” Biden said. “And you buy an efficient refrigerator, efficient coffee machine, you get a tax credit for it.” Earlier in the speech, Biden appeared to blank on the name of Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden — calling him “THAT OTHER GUY I just talked about in the Senate” — just moments after warmly thanking the Democrat for helping to get the bill passed.

TEHRAN - Iran's defence minister hit back Wednesday at veiled Israeli threats of an attack, saying Iran and its allies could put the Jewish state "in an eternal coma" like that of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "Israel does not have the courage to attack Iran, and if it commits such a big mistake, the defenders of Islamic Iran will put Israel in an eternal coma like Sharon," Mostafa Mohammad Najjar was quoted as saying by state television. Najjar branded the United States and Israel as the "Great and Little Satan, who are using psychological wars to intimidate Iran." The United...

Al-Qaida's deputy leader said in an audiotape aired Saturday that Taliban's fighters control large areas in Afghanistan and are fighting American forces and the U.S-backed Afghan government. It was not clear when the tape purportedly by al-Qaida number 2 Ayman al-Zawahri was recorded. Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television, which aired about 30 seconds of the tape, said al-Zawahri did not refer to any new events in the speech. The tape's authenticity could not be independently confirmed, but the voice resembled that of al-Zawahri's confirmed in past recordings. Al-Zawahri said the Taliban movement is controlling large sectors of east and south Afghanistan and...

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush sent tongues wagging this week, planting kisses that to many Americans looked more personal than professional on his two women cabinet nominees. Condoleezza Rice was given two affectionate kisses on the cheek when Bush introduced her at the White House on Tuesday as the new secretary of state. Margaret Spellings, the new education secretary, was congratulated rather uniquely on a corner of the lips when she was presented the next day. "Is there too much kissing going on at the White House?" said USA Today. Could it be that the born-again Methodist president is...