Free Republic

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...

The Real Economics of Tariffs: Why America Holds All the Cards The debate over tariffs is often frustrating because it so seldomly touches on reality instead of whiteboard economics of the Ivory Tower. Critics focus on textbook theories about comparative advantage and free trade efficiency, but they ignore the fundamental reality of how global trade actually works today. For decades, the U.S. has played a peculiar role in the global economy: we consume what the rest of the world produces. That is not a neutral or natural arrangement. It’s the result of policy choices—ours and theirs. And tariffs are finally...

A new and potentially significant source of demand is that of demand from Iran. Iran imported a massive $1.2 billion worth of precious metals from Turkey in April alone. Turkish exports of gold, precious metals, pearls and coins to Iran rose to $1.2 billion in April from a tiny $7,500 a year earlier, according to figures released by the state statistics institute in Ankara yesterday. This is a massive increase in demand and suggests that there may be official involvement in the imports from the Central Bank of Iran. This trend continued in May when Turkish gold imports leapt by...

A historical US flag stolen from the grounds of a school built on the site of a former American naval base has been returned after it was recovered from a bonfire in Londonderry. The flag was taken from Foyle College on the city's Limavady Road in early July. On Monday, independent Derry City and Strabane District councillor Gary Donnelly said he believed the flag had been removed from the bonfire. Foyle College confirmed on Tuesday that the flag had now been handed back to the school. The school thanked those involved in securing the safe return of the flag.

S&P's latest projections show India's GDP growth will remain steady at 6.5 per cent in the ongoing fiscal year, matching the previous financial year's performance. New Delhi: US President Donald Trump's punitive tariffs on Indian imports will not impact India's economic growth, and its sovereign ratings outlook will remain positive, according to S&P Global Ratings Director YeeFarn Phua. New Delhi is facing a 50 per cent US tariff--comprising 25 per cent that kicked in on August 7 and another 25 per cent due to come into force on August 28 as a penalty for buying Russian oil. Speaking at...

A deepening spat between the US and India could cancel this year’s Quad leaders’ summit, potentially delaying a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Anthony Albanese and undermining the region’s premier democratic bloc against China’s rise. The Albanese government is concerned by the escalating tensions after the US president threatened to slug Indian exports to America with an extra 25 percentage points in tariffs unless it curbs purchases of Russian crude oil. But as ties between Washington and New Delhi come under severe strain, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday signalled he planned to travel to China later this...