Free Republic

While Beijing publicly advocates restraint, sustained tensions between the U.S. and Iran serve its strategic interests.Recent heightened tensions between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s repression of nationwide protests and its advancing nuclear program have raised concerns about maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered key military assets to move into the region, and he may decide on whether to use force within the next few days. At the same time, Washington and Tehran have met indirectly in Oman and agreed that diplomacy on the nuclear issue should continue. Diplomacy is the...

Iran killed hundreds of Americans across the Middle East, with its Hezbollah proxy being the most effective terrorist group against the U.S. prior to Al-Qaeda's terror attacks on 9/11. The revolutionary Iranian regime — which may possibly find itself in a war with the United States in the coming days — has positioned itself as an adversary of the U.S. ever since it came into power decades ago in 1979. President Donald Trump appears to be moving toward striking Iran, with the U.S. military moving significant military assets into the region, insisting he would prefer to strike a deal with...

U2 releases Renee Good tribute song 'American Obituary' "These songs were impatient to be out in the world," singer Bono said of the band's surprise new EP, "Days of Ash." Irish rockers U2 became the latest high-powered musical act to condemn the federal immigration raids with the surprise release Wednesday of a six-track EP that kicks off with a song for slain Minneapolis protester Renée Good. Following in the footsteps of Bruce Springsteen, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish and other artists, U2 recorded “American Obituary,” a four-minute plus musical condemnation of the crackdown that left the mother of three dead on...

WASHINGTON (TNND) — House Intelligence Chairman Rick Crawford is raising concerns about two alleged unauthorized biological lab sites discovered on U.S. soil, one in Reedley, California, and another near Las Vegas, saying the cases raise questions about biosecurity and oversight, according to reporting from Just the News Not the Noise. The latest development came after federal agents executed a search warrant at a Las Vegas–area vacation rental in early February 2026. Investigators say the property may be connected to an earlier lab discovered in California, prompting renewed scrutiny from lawmakers and federal agencies. **SNIP** What investigators found in California The...

Kane became the highest-scoring United States-born player in NHL history, passing Mike Modano with an assist for his 1,375th point Thursday night for the Detroit Red Wings against the Washington Capitals. "It's nice to have it over with in some ways and worry about the rest of the season," Kane said after Washington's 4-3 shootout win. Kane passed the puck from the boards to Alex DeBrincat in the left circle, and DeBrincat set up Ben Chiarot for a tying goal from the point midway through the second period.

The Regime Behind the Carnage: Iran’s War on Its Own People and on Israel. Iran’s Hypothetical Atrocities and Its Proxy War Against Israel. The Islamic Republic of Iran has a dark history of brutally suppressing its own people, with estimates suggesting that in just two weeks of crackdowns (Jan/2026), it massacred between 20,000 and 50,000 unarmed civilians. Extrapolating this rate over two years yields a staggering 1.04 million to 2.6 million potential deaths—a chilling reminder of the regime’s capacity for mass murder against innocents, far exceeding even the most tragic conflicts. This same ruthless regime fuels terrorism through its backing...

As allies met in Paris to firm up security guarantees for Ukraine, the presence of peace envoys sent by Donald Trump offered hope that the US was still listening to the EU despite the president's threats to annex Greenland. "We have largely finished the security protocols," said Steve Witkoff, one of the two emissaries, as he stood alongside the leaders of France, Germany, the UK and Ukraine at the presidential palace in Paris. "This is important so that when this war ends, it ends forever," he said. Even as France and the UK inked their resolve to deploy troops to...

Denmark and the US are stuck in a 'fundamental disagreement' over Greenland after leaders from both countries met for talks in Washington earlier today. Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the meeting with vice president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio was 'frank but also constructive' but admitted work was needed to 'find a common way forward'. 'The discussions focused on how to ensure the long-term security in Greenland, and here our perspectives continue to differ,' Mr Rasmussen told reporters after joining Greenland's foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, for the talks. 'I must say the president has made...

The US used a mystery sonic weapon that brought Venezuelan soldiers to their knees, “bleeding through the nose” and vomiting blood during the daring raid to capture dictator Nicolas Maduro, according to a witness account posted Saturday on X by the White House press secretary. In a jaw-dropping interview, the guard described how American forces wiped out hundreds of fighters without losing a single soldier, using powerful technology unlike anything he has ever seen — or heard. “We were on guard, but suddenly all our radar systems shut down without any explanation,” the guard said. “The next thing we saw...

As unpredictable as United States President Donald Trump may sometimes be, the decision to strike Venezuela and seize its leader Nicolas Maduro on Saturday (Jan 3) was not taken on a whim. It was clearly calculated to send a message about America’s power and interests – and its ability and willingness to mobilise one to advance the other. The question is whether it was the only message that everyone else received. The writing was on the wall for Maduro: In his first term, Mr Trump had refused to recognise the legitimacy of the Maduro presidency. Since his return to the...

The crew of the runaway Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera released the first video showing a U.S. Coast Guard Legend class cutter in close pursuit. The video was posted online Tuesday by the Russian RT news outlet as the military buildup in England continues, potentially for a future U.S. boarding of the vessel. Until recently known as the Bella-1 before it was re-registered and the crew painted a Russian flag on it, the Marinera is part of a so-called shadow fleet. These vessels are transporting oil for Russia, Iran and Venezuela in violation of sanctions imposed by the United States and...

The U.S. military carried out a "large-scale strike" on Venezuela Saturday morning, capturing the nation's dictatorial leader, Nicolás Maduro, who will face sweeping criminal charges on U.S. soil, according to an unsealed indictment released by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Maduro, who was elected in 2013 and served as Hugo Chavez's vice president, is facing charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the U.S. "It's just it was an amazing thing, the amazing job that these people did. There's nobody else could have done...

The substance used on Sergei Skripal was an agent called BZ, according to Swiss state Spiez lab, the Russian foreign minister said. The toxin was never produced in Russia, but was in service in the US, UK, and other NATO states. Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with an incapacitating toxin known as 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate or BZ, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, citing the results of the examination conducted by a Swiss chemical lab that worked with the samples that London handed over to the Organisation for the Prohibition of the Chemical...

Key Points The consumer price index rose at a 2.7% annualized rate last month, a delayed report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected CPI to have risen 3.1%. Core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, was also cooler than anticipated, increasing 2.6% over 12 months.

Ford CEO Jim Farley has proven himself to be a passionate car guy, but every now and again he pops up to remind everyone he’s running a multi-billion dollar company with one of the most recognisable brand names in the world. Earlier this week, Farley stood with US President Donald Trump as fuel economy targets were slashed, effectively allowing Ford – and other brands – to battle less red tape and sell vehicles for greater profits, while at the same time providing better up-front affordability for buyers. Now, Farley has turned his attention to Europe, amid reports that the continent’s...

EU leaders warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a closed-door call that the United States might betray both Ukraine and Europe by conceding territory without firm security guarantees, Spiegel reported on Dec. 4. According to the outlet, European heads of state and government expressed deep mistrust toward Washington’s role in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Spiegel published what it claims is a transcript of the call — involving German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, several other European leaders, and Zelenskyy — in which the Americans were portrayed as unreliable. “There is a possibility that the United States...

Something unprecedented happened in Moscow. Trump's envoy met with Putin while China's foreign minister met with his Russian counterpart. Three nuclear superpowers converged, and London is in panic because they can end British imperial control. In this episode, Susan Kokinda discusses a significant event in Moscow involving Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, Vladimir Putin, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The meeting represents a major shift in global power dynamics, signaling potential threats to British imperial control. Kokinda delves into Trump's new alliances with Russia and China and his efforts to target the financial lifeblood of the British Empire. The episode...

The U.S. has only "scratched the surface" of its oil potential, with new technologies and untapped resources emerging that could help cement America’s energy dominance for years to come. "The biggest opportunity is to recover more of the molecules that are in the ground," Chevron CEO Mike Wirth told FOX Business in an exclusive interview. Currently, only about 10% of the oil in place can be extracted with existing technology — a figure Chevron aims to increase. Wirth told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo that the company is investing in a new generation of drilling innovations, including artificial intelligence-powered systems and...

U.S. Flag with Israeli Stars Which of the United States or Israel uses the other for its foreign policy? Is Israel the proxy for US foreign policy in the Middle East? Or does Israel determine US foreign policy, both through and because of the Zionist lobby and the neocons and liberals present in the US administration? Is it “the world upside down” “tails wagging dogs”? This is a very old question: who manipulates whom in this American-Israeli relationship?

Angelina Jolie spoke up about the free speech debate going on in the United States. The Oscar-winning actress was asked at a film festival in Spain over the weekend, “What do you fear as an artist and an American?” “It is a very difficult question,” Jolie responded, according The Guardian, “I love my country, but at this time, I don’t recognize my country,” Jolie said. “I’ve always lived internationally, my family is international, my friends, my life.” She went on to say, “My worldview is equal, united and international. Anything anywhere that divides or limits personal expressions and freedoms from...