Free Republic

A Grammy Award-winning rock star left White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stunned with his question about free speech and political asylum during Monday’s briefing. Winston Marshall, the former banjoist with British folk group Mumford & Sons, called on President Trump to grant asylum to his fellow countrymen and -women who faced prosecutions over “hate speech” in the UK. Marshall, who left the band in 2021, claimed that people in his country faced “extensive prison sentences for tweets, social media posts and general free speech issues,” before ramping up to his question.

Footage of rap group Kneecap allegedly calling for the death of British MPs is being assessed by counter-terrorism police. A video has emerged of the west Belfast trio at a November 2023 gig appearing to show one person from the band saying: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP." The Metropolitan Police also said that another video, from November last year, is being assessed. The footage appeared to show a band member shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" at a performance in London. Kneecap have said on social media that they have "faced a co-ordinated smear...

This is a big week for anglosphere elections: Canada today, Australia on Saturday, and, in between, England's local elections (except for the ones Sir Keir has cancelled) on Thursday. Don't worry, you sensitive types, in none of the three is there the remotest danger of a Trump or an Orbán, a Le Pen or Meloni ascending to power. Incredible as it seems, the Aussie campaign has been even more dispiriting than the Canadian one, with the so-called "right-of-centre" leader, Peter Tweedledutton, alternating between huffing indignantly at the very suggestion that he as any policy disagreements with the leftie incumbent and...

UPDATE 10:52 AM – The suspect accused of stealing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Gucci bag containing approximately $3,000 in cash has been identified as a Chilean undocumented migrant. According to a report by the New York Post, Mario Bustamante-Leiva, 49, was detained on Saturday after reportedly stealing the shoulder bag when Noem, 53, was celebrating Easter with her family at The Capital Burger in Washington, DC. Bustamante-Leiva, who is illegally in the United States, is considered to be a member of a vast east coast robbery network, and law enforcement is still looking for another undocumented immigrant who served...

snip... The dashboard let out a debilitating shriek, as we drive away from the airport. The driver explained that the shriek is emitted by “the system” when he drives out of the “sector” of the airport. ...as we slowed to a stop before a red light, that “the system” fines him automatically if he does not stop - if he dares to drive through on a yellow light. He also explained that it records us “for safety.” He seemed to catch himself as I was asking if all of this surveillance was intrusive. He had started to agree but then,...

The UK Supreme Court's landmark ruling limiting the definition of a woman to biological sex stirred outrage among the stars of BBC’s "RuPaul’s Drag Race UK," who pledged to "fight back" against the decision they say will "marginalize" the transgender community. "The fight back starts today," season one runner-up Divina De Campo wrote in an X post last Wednesday, adding, "We will not go back into the shadows to make you comfortable. F--- all the way off." LGBTQ+ news outlet PinkNews reported on season two finalist Tayce's rage expressed through Instagram with posts calling the UK Supreme Court a "POS...

The Supreme Court’s ruling has driven trans activists nuts – and I’m loving it.I’ve found my soundtrack for spring: the caterwauling of fellas in dresses following yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling. It’s delicious. They’re raging about the ‘fascism’ of no longer being allowed to get their knobs out in the women’s changing room. They’re agonising over where they’re supposed to take a shit now. Their Adam’s apples are getting a mighty fine workout as they wail into the void about being ‘erased’ by ‘transphobes’. It’s the sound of men being stripped of their entitlements by women who’ve had enough of their...

Who would have thought that something as seemingly straightforward as the ‘definition of a woman’ could cause such a reaction? Thousands of trans rights activists have taken to the streets today (April 19) in protest at the recent Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of a woman. This is following a ruling that took place on Wednesday, April 16, when the UK’s apex court issued a pivotal judgement, affirming that the terms “woman” and “sex” within the 2010 Equality Act pertain strictly to biological women and sex. Trans rights protests take place in England and Scotland However, in coming...

Reports of a “quiet revival” within the Catholic Church in Britain have been drawing widespread attention over the past week as parishes up and down the country witness ahead of the Easter celebrations a steady growth in interest and attendance, especially among the young. At the vigil of the Lord’s Resurrection this Saturday, the London dioceses of Southwark and Westminster will be receiving higher numbers than usual into the Church, with Southwark receiving 450 new candidates and catechumens — a decade high — and Westminster recording 500 new faithful, up by 25% from the previous year. ...About half of those...

The U.S. government must launch a probe into the Chinese overseas law enforcement operation in New York City, experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation, as other countries raise the alarm over reports of police stations on their soil. “How in God’s name could they openly have these communist police stations in our country?” Beau Dietl, retired NYPD detective, told the DCNF. “This shows the Chinese Communist Party is not afraid to exert its will outside of China, and we should do all that we can to counter this behavior,” Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch of Idaho...

Easter is a time for hope. Normally, that hope is a solely theological one. However this year, the pollsters have joined in the message of Resurrection with some cold, hard data. Far from being dead, extensive polling by the Bible Society suggests that Christianity is experiencing the beginnings of a quiet revival, especially among younger worshippers. Sixteen per cent of 18-24-year olds say they are monthly churchgoers, up from 4 per cent in 2018. Though this rise is concentrated among young men, both sexes are attending at higher rates. Even factoring in migration from more religious countries, churchgoing is increasing...

Summary - The UK Supreme Court rules that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex - Judges say the "concept of sex is binary" while cautioning that the landmark ruling should not be seen as victory of one side over another - Transgender people still have legal protection from discrimination, the court adds - Today's decision comes after a long-running legal battle between the Scottish government and a women's group - The Scottish government had argued that transgender people with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) are entitled to sex-based protections, while For Women Scotland argued they...

Judges at the UK Supreme Court have unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law. It marks the culmination of a long-running legal battle which could have major implications for how sex-based rights apply across Scotland, England and Wales. The court sided with campaign group For Women Scotland, which brought a case against the Scottish government arguing that sex-based protections should only apply to people that are born female. The Scottish government argued in court that transgender people with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) are entitled to the same sex-based protections as biological women.

Achieving Net Zero in 25 years would need a “complete transformation” of the UK’s agricultural and food system that would in effect mean a diet devoid of beef, lamb and all dairy products, according to the latest work from the Government-funded UK FIRES. Look at the research that governing elites commission and read, not what they say. UK FIRES takes an absolute view of Net Zero and bases its work on existing technologies, not the pie in the sky inventions still to come and the whacky schemes that cannot reach economic scale. UK FIRES is an influential body since it...

The police are making more than 30 arrests a day over offensive posts on social media and other platforms. Thousands of people are being detained and questioned for sending messages that cause “annoyance”, “inconvenience” or “anxiety” to others via the internet, telephone or mail. Custody data obtained by The Times shows that officers are making about 12,000 arrests a year under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988. The acts make it illegal to cause distress by sending “grossly offensive” messages or sharing content of an “indecent, obscene or menacing character”...

Sir Keir Starmer was last night accused of being in thrall to 'the wokerati' after the full list of the paintings removed from No10 since he moved in was revealed. Portraits of historic figures such as Elizabeth 1, Mary, Queen of Scots, Sir Walter Raleigh and William Shakespeare were among the 69 works of art 'deinstalled' from the Government Art Collection since the election. The revelation comes after a long Freedom of Information battle with the Tories. Among their replacements are Altar, a scene from the 2023 Falmouth Reggae Festival in Cornwall by Denzil Forrester. Other paintings include All Things...

While President Trump honored Palm Sunday, King Charles III neglected it — instead honoring a pagan holiday.When President Donald Trump honored the Christian celebration of Holy Week before Easter, he took a striking stand against the spiritual atrophy consuming much of Western civilization. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s leaders celebrated a pagan holiday instead of Palm Sunday.“This Holy Week, Christians around the World remember the Crucifixion of God’s Only Begotten Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Trump wrote on Palm Sunday on Truth Social. “[O]n Easter Sunday, we celebrate His Glorious Resurrection and proclaim, as Christians have done for nearly...

From the end of April, the 500-year-old Royal Mail will be controlled by a Czech billionaire who co-owns a football club and is a major investor in a British supermarket - so, why would he want this ailing institution? "A pair of scissors, one empty teapot and some hot water, please." The slightly baffled staff at Claridge's scrambled to comply with Daniel Kretinsky's breakfast order as he sanitised and moisturised his hands. The upscale hotel has been serving tea to the global elite for decades but Mr Kretinsky brought along his own packet of Chinese green tea, which he snipped...

The fifth annual Mark Steyn Cruise docked yesterday at Southampton (not my favourite port of call) and so, in consequence, I spent a few hours in what passes for the United Kingdom. It is a very weird land. For example, if a partially deaf man asks a "migrant" to "speak clearly", this act necessitates a visit from the British state. Meet our Brit Wanker Copper of the Day: British police tell an elderly man that it has been alleged that he told a migrant "speak English." They warn the elderly man that it could be perceived as a hate crime....

London -- Keir Starmer hailed the contributions of British Sikhs across all walks of life in the UK in his Baisakhi greetings from 10 Downing Street on Sunday. Having hosted a special reception earlier this week to mark the festival symbolising the birth of the Khalsa, Starmer posted a video on social media showcasing the festivities along with his Baisakhi message. “It’s really fantastic to be able to come together and to celebrate the contribution of British Sikhs to our nation, and what a contribution that is and has been and will be into the future,” said Starmer. “From across...