Free Republic

The shooting of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico seems likely to be recognised as a terrorist attack after the gunman admitted he shot the head of government for political reasons.Slovak prosecutors have published comments by the man who confessed to shooting Prime Minister Robert Fico last week for the first time, offering the first official insight into motivations behind the attack that rocked Europe. The confession opens the way for the Slovak authorities to reclassify the attack from mere attempted murder to a terrorist attack. (snip) While Cintula said he disagreed with several of Fico’s policies and political reforms, according...

BREAKING:'No sign of life' detected at crash site of helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi, others, Iran state TV says

I haven't cross checked this but...

Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi has been involved in a helicopter crash hours after posing for pictures with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and rescuers are frantically trying to reach the site. The aircraft was traveling in Iran's East Azerbaijan province near Jolfa, around 375 miles northwest of Tehran, when it suffered a 'hard landing', according to Iranian state television. Rescuers were attempting to reach the site, but had been hampered by the poor weather conditions in the area. There had been heavy rain and fog reported with some wind. The helicopter was one of a convoy of three and foreign minister...

Foreign terrorist organizations may seek to exploit "LGBTQIA+-related events and venues," including events during 2024 Pride month -- celebrated in June, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned in a recent public service announcement. "Organizations like ISIS may seek to exploit increased gatherings associated with the upcoming June 2024 Pride Month," according to the announcement, which the agencies issued last week. The announcement added that the threat is "compounded" by the "current heightened threat environment" in the United States. The threats could come online, in person or in the mail, according to the FBI and DHS... Nearly eight years...

Paradis Books & Bread, a book café located in North Miami, has closed down following a controversial decision to ask Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell to leave the establishment due to his conservative political beliefs. Gianno Caldwell recounted the event during an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, expressing his disbelief and disappointment over being ostracized for his political stance. Caldwell explained, “I never thought I would make international news for being a Florida man kicked out of a restaurant because of my conservative values.” He detailed how the conversation turned uncomfortable when the café’s owner directly asked...

I’m all for raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, but my favorite thing in the world is watching the smug fascists in the Never Trump movement deal with failure and despair. Oh, Jonah “Fauntleroy” Goldberg’s having a bad day? In the Nolte household, that piece of news ranks right up there with cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels. “‘Never Trumpers’ are close to giving up hope,” reads the Hill headline. Knowing Never Trumpers are giving up hope means you can keep your bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. It gets better, so much better… “Former President Trump is...

Florida State, per FSU Sports Info, was down 14 starters from its ACC Championship-winning roster. In the largest scoring margin in bowl game history, Florida State lost 63-3 to the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday in the Orange Bowl. Florida State, per FSU Sports Info, was down 14 starters from its ACC Championship-winning roster with multiple players having opted out following FSU’s unprecedented exclusion from the College Football Playoff due to entrance into the NFL Draft or the transfer portal. Below, find some reactions from recruits, alumni, current players, coaches, officials and Florida State administrators — as well as FSU fans,...

Ukraine faces defeat as early as next summer if American and Nato military aid dries up, a senior US official has warned.Vladimir Putin’s chances of victory have been buoyed by war fatigue and blocks on funding in both America and the EU.“There is no guarantee of success with us, but they are certain to fail without us,” a senior US military source told CNN.Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s prime minister, last week blocked a £43 billion EU aid package for Ukraine.Austria had also threatened to block the bill until Kyiv toned down criticism of an Austrian bank still working in Russia. Western...

Ilion, which is a village in Herkimer County, New York, will be losing its facility in March 2024 according to letters sent to union leaders obtained by the Utica Observer-Dispatch. It can’t be understated how big of a deal this is: Ilion is the literal birthplace of Remington, as the company was founded there. They’ve been manufacturing guns there since 1816… which is well over 200 years worth of history. And yes, the facility closure will involve layoffs and swathes of people losing their jobs. As to who should shoulder the blame for this abrupt closure, local Republican lawmakers put...

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Several stores at the location where George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police in 2020 have sued the city, accusing it of neglecting the area and hurting business. The lawsuit, filed in mid-November in state court, also names Mayor Jacob Frey and other officials and accuses the city of not properly policing the area since Floyd’s death. It also accuses the city of blocking the intersection that is now known as George Floyd Square with concrete barriers for more than a year after Floyd's death, keeping customers from entering. The combination has turned the area into a...

the collapse begins....

Ichabodovich spending 80M usd (shell buyers) on yachts as ukie military crumbles

Pope Francis postponed a series of meetings because of a lung inflammation and breathing difficulties, the Vatican said Monday morning. Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, said in an emailed statement that a CT scan ruled out pneumonia but added that doctors had inserted a cannula to provide antibiotics. The pope lost part of a lung following an illness some 50 years ago. Francis, the first pope from the Americas, turns 87 next month and has battled ill health for years, canceling multiple engagements and appearing in public in a wheelchair. But Bruni's statement stressed: "The Pope’s condition...

Finland has accused Russia of flooding its borders with migrants from the Middle East and Africa over its decision to increase defense cooperation with the United States, a claim which Moscow denies. As many as 300 migrants from Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and Syria have arrived in Finland this week, Reuters reported, citing the Finnish Border Guard. The arrivals have prompted Finland to erect barricades at the border with Russia to stop the migrants from crossing freely into the country. The razor-wire barriers were put up Friday around midnight at the Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala border posts in southeast Finland,...

In the early hours of Thursday, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Estonia launched a pointed accusation against Russia, alleging a failure to detain illegal migrants at its borders. The incident sparking this contention involved eight Somali citizens attempting to circumnavigate immigration control, attempting to enter Estonia via Narva. Geopolitical Tensions Highlighted This incident brings to light the ongoing concerns around border security and immigration control, issues that hold significant weight for Estonia, given its geographical location and strained political relations with Russia. The accusation by the Estonian official not only underscores these concerns but also spotlights the intricate complexities...

HELSINKI, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Finland will erect barriers at four crossings on its border with Russia from midnight, officials said on Friday, in a bid to stem an increase in migrants that Helsinki says has been orchestrated by Moscow. Finland has accused Russian authorities of funnelling migrants to the crossings in retaliation for its decision to increase defence cooperation with the United States, an assertion dismissed by the Kremlin. Barriers will go up at four of the nine crossings with Russia, at Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala in its southeast, the Finnish Border Guard said. "Our aim is to...

On Tuesday, Michigan Judge James Redford ruled that Donald Trump will remain on the Michigan Presidential ballot for 2024. A Michigan judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit that tried to use the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban” to remove Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot.The judge separately ruled that Michigan’s secretary of state doesn’t have the power under state law to determine Trump’s eligibility for office based on the constitutional amendment.The rulings mark a major victory for the former president, who has a commanding lead in the 2024 Republican presidential primary race, according to recent polling. Recently, a ruling in...

At 3:30 p.m. Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass participated in a press conference to discuss the blaze that has crippled the downtown commute for hundreds of thousands of Angelenos. Newsom began the press conference by describing the fire as being set with “malice intent,” saying the fire burned within the fence line and appeared to be an act of arson. Newsom had previously said that the area was being leased by a company that the state knew well and was involved in active litigation with, adding that the lease had recently expired. “The structural...

A Moscow appeals court has upheld a 19-year prison sentence for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was convicted on extremism-related charges in August. Navalny, a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is already serving a 9-year sentence on fraud and embezzlement charges. In August, the court said Navalny had financed and incited "extremist activities" with his group the Anti-Corruption Foundation. The group was banned by Russian authorities in 2021 and labeled as extremist. Navalny has rejected the charges as politically motivated by the Kremlin in an attempt to silence him. (snip) The appeal was held in a closed...