Free Republic

One of the most accurate aspects about Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza is the use of the word Nazi to describe the terrorist enemy. No other label or historical parallel could capture the chilling ferocious madness – but not scope – of Palestinian butchery of Israelis. The Nazi vilification epithet has now become conventional Israeli discourse in public and media circles with the vivid revelation – in words and photos – of Palestinian savagery and barbarism by Hamas on October 7. Hamas terrorists, without an ounce of inhibition or remorse, shot youth in cold blood at the music festival...

HAS Victoria so run out of true leaders? Are we really now led by buck-passers, media tarts and paper-shufflers? The bushfires royal commission this week could only add to our despair. And only add, too, to the possibility former police commissioner Christine Nixon could face being charged with perjury. Black Saturday was a day that should have seen our leaders lead. It was the crisis for which true leaders are born. For which some secretly dream. Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and all that. No war, no Churchill. Instead, the hour cameth, and the leaders went. To hairdressers and...

Two boys charged with lighting one of the fatal Black Saturday bushfires have been released on bail. Almost a year after the devastating fires, a 14-year-old boy was arrested by appointment in Melbourne today, while his 15-year-old co-accused was arrested in central Victoria. The youths were each charged with arson causing death, deliberately lighting a bushfire, lighting a fire on a total fire ban day and lighting a fire in a country area during extreme weather conditions. They were also charged with 135 counts each of criminal damage by fire and multiple counts of using telecommunications services to menace and...

THE upcoming fire season could start earlier and last longer, a top Victorian fire chief has warned. Identified risk areas include the Otway Ranges, the Dandenong Ranges, the Brisbane Ranges and the Macedon Ranges. Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment chief officer Ewan Waller said firefighters would start burning off as soon as possible. "The fire season may well start earlier, go longer, with lightning in between," Mr Waller said. "We will have extra support from the government for spring burnoffs state-wide and there will be smoke in the air as soon as we can start bringing in people." He...