Free Republic

Israel has been providing Ukraine with "basic intelligence" on the Iranian drones used by Russia in its invasion, The New York Times said on Wednesday. A senior Israeli official reportedly told the Times about the intelligence sharing, and that a private Israeli firm was also giving Ukraine satellite imagery of Russian troop positions. "We are told that there are allegedly no Iranian drones in Ukraine. Well, we’ll find ways to ensure that there aren't any left, indeed." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Russia's use of Iranian drones Russian forces have been using several variants of Iranian drones in its Ukraine campaign...

A daredevil has broken the slackline world record after walking between two hot air balloons more than a mile above the ground. Rafael Zugno Bridi, 34, balanced precariously on the narrow inch-wide slackline among the clouds over Praia Grande in his native Brazil. The adrenaline junkie was barefoot 6,131ft in the air when he broke the record of the highest ever tightrope walk at more than double the height of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa which stands at 2,722ft.

We have heard of putting the audience in the middle of the action but this is taking it a little far. The Walk is based on the infamous story of tightrope walker Philippe Petit, who walked across a wire connected to the Twin Towers in 1974. The movie was shot in 3D, making the already terrifying heights actually come to life. So much so that audiences are literally vomiting at the sight of it. The Walk held press screening this week and the reception was queasy. But at least it wasn't because the movie was terrible (that's left for films...

High-wire artist Nick Wallenda said he plans to walk a tight rope 65 stories off the ground between the west and east towers of Chicago's Marina City building blindfolded next month in the hopes of encouraging others to challenge themselves. Wallenda revealed the news on the Today Show Friday saying, "It's my passion. It's what I love doing and Chicago, the windy city that was very alluring to me. Most people think a wire walker doesn't want to go to the windy city but I enjoy the challenges. I enjoy challenging myself." Wallenda, who tends to throw some surprises into...

High wire artist Nik Wallenda constantly prayed to Jesus as he walked without a harness on a 1,400-foot long high-wire across a 1,500-foot tall gorge near the Grand Canyon on Sunday, successfully completing the death-defying feat that was broadcast live on the Discovery Channel. "Thank you Lord. Thank you for calming that cable, God," The Associated Press quoted Wallenda as saying as he had reached halfway through the tightrope. He had no safety tether attaching him to his line at a height taller than the Empire State Building, and was facing sudden wind gusts of over 20 mph. Discovery chose...

LITTLE COLORADO RIVER GORGE, Ariz. (CBS Las Vegas/AP) — Daredevil Nik Wallenda does it again. In an unofficial time of 22 minutes, 54 seconds, Wallenda crossed a quarter-mile tightrope 1,500 feet above the Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon. Wallenda paused and knelt twice to get “the rhythm out of the rope” and murmuring prayers to Jesus almost constantly along the way. His stepped slow and steady, but jogged and hopped the last few steps. “Thank you Lord. Thank you for calming that cable, God,” he said about 13 minutes into the walk. The stunt comes a year...

Nik Wallenda says he’s like a kid on Christmas morning, about to live a dream he’s had since he was six years old, when he first visited Niagara Falls and decided he wanted to walk across it. Now he’s about to attempt it for real, crossing the Falls on a specially-installed 1,800 foot, 2-inch steel cable for a live television special Friday night. “I’ve done walks higher, I’ve done walks longer, but none will compare to this,” he says. Wallenda has been wire walking almost since he took his first baby steps.as a child. He comes from seven generations of...

A tightrope walker in China has broken two world records after a walk at an altitude of more than 1,500 metres above sea level. According to a report by the state-run Xinhua news agency, Ahdili Wuxiuer created two Guinness records by performing the walk at the highest sea level a tightrope walker has ever done before, and doing it while passing his pupil on the wire.

John McCain, conservatives nightmare for a presidential candidate, seems to be racking up the essential numbers. But, looking beyond that, it's hard to see how McCain can win. One elephant in the room is illegal immigration. When it was brought up earlier in the race, John McCain grit his teeth, snarled and said we wouldn't see that bill again. Not because of a change of heart, but because so much of the nation threw a complete hissy fit over it.

His action-hero aura remained intact, with young Republicans dashing to pose with him, party faithful dropping any hint of disagreement for a hearty hallway handshake and delegates cheering loudly when he took the stage for a speech promising bold leadership. But despite appearances, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California strode into the state Republican Party's winter convention on Friday night politically wounded and searching for support even among the normally reliable base of backers at these functions. (snip) Mr. Schwarzenegger defended his plan to spend $222 billion on public works, including highways and schools, as an example of bold leadership. But...

Terror-loving Saudi religious scholars have called on Iraqis to support militants waging jihad against the U.S.-led coalition forces, saying fighting the occupation was a duty and a right. In an open letter to the Iraqi people posted on the Internet yesterday, 26 Saudi scholars and religious preachers stressed that armed attacks launched by militant Iraqi groups on U.S. troops and their allies in Iraq were "legitimate" resistance. The scholars -- some of whom have been criticized in the past for their extremist views -- issued a fatwa, or religious edict, prohibiting Iraqis from offering any support for military operations carried...

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- Prominent Saudi religious scholars urged Iraqis to support militants waging holy war against the U.S.-led coalition forces as American troops prepared Saturday for a major assault on the insurgent hotbed of Fallujah. The 26 Saudi scholars and preachers said in an open letter to the Iraqi people that their appeal was prompted by "the extraordinary situation through which the Iraqis are passing which calls for unity and exchange of views." The letter was posted on the Internet.

<p>NEW YORK — A high-wire circus daredevil miraculously cheated death yesterday after plummeting 30 feet to the ground before a crowd of thousands of screaming kids and parents at Madison Square Garden.</p> <p>Ringling Bros. (search) tightrope walker Hernando Rangel, 34, was rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital (search) still wearing his sequined leotard after the horrifying fall, the equivalent of three stories, police and circus officials said.</p>

<p>So do I. And so did they, the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Whenever a cloud interrupted the sunshine that made their silver robes flutter chromatically, the drop in temperature caused the steel skeletons to contract a little; when it passed, they expanded again.</p>

Chinese acrobat Adily, a five time Guinness world record holder, plans to walk a tightrope across Niagara Falls, state press reported on Friday. The 32-year-old member of the Turkic-speaking Uighur minority said he would leave for Canada on September 13 to survey the site, the Xinhua news agency said. "After I see around the Niagara Falls, I will decide where to walk across. If nothing unexpected happens, I will walk across the Niagara Falls next May," said Adily. Toronto high wire walker Jay Cochrane has already succeeded in walking the falls but Adily said he would better the feat, although...

<p>WASHINGTON -- Libel lawsuits can become double-edged swords, as Ceres Rep. Gary Condit and his wife, Carolyn, might discover.</p> <p>By filing three lawsuits seeking a total of $36 million, the Condits initiated a high-stakes counterattack against the media that they believe defamed them. But that means the politician's family, which has placed a premium on privacy, becomes vulnerable to intrusive questioning.</p>