Free Republic

In a dramatic development that occurred just as US President Barack Obama was leaving the country, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke with Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan for the first time since the Israeli prime minister took power in 2009. Netanyahu voiced regret for the loss of life in the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, apologizing for any mistakes that led to the death of nine Turkish activists. Breaking a three-year deadlock, the two agreed to normalize relations. "Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed an apology to the Turkish people for any error that may have led to the loss of life, and agreed to...

Panetta removes military ban on women in combat, opening thousands of front line positions.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration says it is requiring airlines to temporarily stop flying Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday ordered U.S. airlines to temporarily stop flying Boeing's 787 Dreamliner following a series of mishaps. The agency said the decision to ground Boeing 787s was prompted by a second incident involving lithium ion battery failure. Earlier Wednesday, Japan's two leading airlines grounded their fleets of Boeing 787s after one of the Dreamliner passenger jets made an emergency landing.

House Speaker John Boehner offered Wednesday to pursue a deal with a victorious President Barack Obama that will include higher taxes "under the right conditions" to help reduce the nation's staggering debt and put its finances in order. "Mr. President, this is your moment," Boehner told reporters, speaking about the "fiscal cliff" that will hit in January. "We want you to lead." Boehner said House Republicans are asking Obama "to make good on a balanced approach" that would including spending cuts and address government social benefit programs. "Let's find the common ground that has eluded us," Boehner said while congratulating...

With 100% of the votes tallied, it looks like same-sex marriage has been passed by Washington State voters. Sign of the times.

Breaking; Egyptian electoral commission declares Mohammed Morsi, candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, or Ikwhan, winner of the Presidential run-off.

The kinds of drones making the headlines daily are the heavily armed CIA and U.S. Army vehicles which routinely strike targets in Pakistan - killing terrorists and innocents alike. But the real high-tech story of surveillance drones is going on at a much smaller level, as tiny remote controlled vehicles based on insects are already likely being deployed. Over recent years a range of miniature drones, or micro air vehicles (MAVs), based on the same physics used by flying insects, have been presented to the public.

Bee Gees' singer Robin Gibb has died following a lengthy battle with cancer, his family have said.

Anti-corruption police spokesman Jaroslav Ibehej has told CTK that the office has been conducting a large investigation since Monday. He refused to elaborate. The server iDnes has written that the police were making a search in Rath's office in the regional governor's building in Prague. The server has written that the investigation is connected with European subsidies for a hospital in Kladno, central Bohemia. Regional state attorney Lenka Bradacova has told the server iDnes that the police had detained five men, including one deputy, and three women, in connection with the case. Rath has come under the suspicion of harming...

Rock star Bruce Dickinson has vowed to create 1,000 jobs at a “centre of excellence” for British aviation. The Iron Maiden frontman, a fully qualified pilot, yesterday bought 132,000sq ft of old RAF hangars in South Wales. He aims to use the site at St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, to service Boeing 737s, train pilots on simulators and, one day, build airships. His firm, CARDIFF AVIATION, hopes to take on the first 50 to 60 staff this July. Hundreds more would follow as contracts come in.

The idea of the average mayor pole dancing would not appeal to most voters, but in the Italian town of Taranto, porn stars Amandha Fox and Luana Borgia both think it will get one of them the job.

An all-too-familiar sight at LAX and the rest of the nation’s airports will soon be coming to the city’s busiest train station. KNX 1070′s Pete Demetriou reports rail passengers have started seeing Transportation Security Administration on patrol at Union Station on a more frequent basis. As many as 25 VIPR (Visible Intermodal Prevention & Response) teams began patrolling train stations nationwide last summer conducting an estimated 9,300 “suspicionless” spot searches of travelers. The agency has said the presence of officers with explosive detection dogs, radiation monitors and other devices will act as a deterrent in the nation’s busiest travel hubs.

Before video games and robotics competitions, toys were much simpler: girls got dolls; boys got model trains and bicycles. Toys that promoted learning and experimentation were rare until one inventor, Alfred Carlton (“A. C.”) Gilbert, started making toys that taught children about science and engineering. His most famous, the Erector set, became one of the best -selling toys of its day and inspired children across the country to build everything from bridges to robots. Gilbert was a man of many talents. He financed his medical degree from Yale University by working as a magician, invented the pole-vaulting box and won...

Barack Obama has abandoned a commitment to veto a new security law that allows the military to indefinitely detain without trial American terrorism suspects arrested on US soil who could then be shipped to Guantánamo Bay. Human rights groups accused the president of deserting his principles and disregarding the long-established principle that the military is not used in domestic policing. The legislation has also been strongly criticised by libertarians on the right angered at the stripping of individual rights for the duration of "a war that appears to have no end". The law, contained in the defence authorisation bill that...

Taking a hard line on a U.S. foe in the Middle East, Republican presidential front-runner Newt Gingrich indicated Wednesday that he would unilaterally "replace" Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because he is running a "bad dictatorship." The former House speaker was asked on a morning radio show in Chicago to offer a "30-second" answer to what he would do about Syria, where anti-government protests have led to a violent crackdown. Gingrich said, "I can give you a three-second answer. Replace Assad. I mean Assad is our enemy. He is an ally of Iran. It is a bad dictatorship. It is to...

He's the master filmmaker whose intensity and attention to detail are unmatched in Hollywood. Stanley Kubrick's directing credits include Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange and The Shining. Steven Spielberg once said: 'Nobody could shoot a picture better in history.'

This is the Ugandan aircraft that Africa hopes will thrust it right into the space race. Constructed amidst the rubble of his mother's backyard, ambitious Chris NSamba believes the African Skyhawk will lead to his continent launching its first astronaut into orbit. The African Space Research Programme founder has been helped by 600 volunteers in partially achieving the first stage of his dream - the creation of the plane that will penetrate the edge of space by flying at 80,000ft.

A 103-year-old woman and her 83-year-old daughter were just moments from being evicted from their home Tuesday, when sheriff's deputies and the moving company hired by the bank decided not to go through with the action. Channel 2's Ryan Young was there when the family started thanking God for the miracle. At justthree weeks shy of her 104th birthday, Vita Lee has shared her home on Penelope Road in Northwest Atlanta with her daughter for 53 years. "I love it. It's a mansion," Lee said about her house. Fulton County sheriff's deputies and movers showed up at Lee's home Tuesday...

Rising like a space age Eiffel Tower on growth hormones, the newly built Tokyo Sky Tree won't officially open its elevator doors until May 2012. Yet the 2,080-foot-tall (634-meter-tall) structure has already built a lofty reputation. Under construction since 2008, Japan's latest landmark was this month certified the world's tallest tower by Guinness World Records. But hold on, what about Dubai's Burj Khalifa? Completed in 2010, the giant skyscraper measures 2,723 feet (830 meters) tall. Yes, say the records people, but the Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building. Tokyo's Sky Tree is a tower, the difference being "that less...

Fitch Ratings Thursday dropped its credit rating on Portugal into junk territory and warned further downgrades were possible, as a recession in the country is increasing challenges for the government to comply with its austerity plans. Fitch lowered the rating one notch, to double-B-plus from triple-B-plus, and maintained a negative outlook. "The country's large fiscal imbalances, high indebtedness across all sectors, and adverse macroeconomic outlook mean the sovereign's credit profile is no longer consistent with an investment-grade rating," Fitch said.

When Project Utopia was unveiled by Yacht Island Design and naval architects BMT Nigel Gee, there was a certain healthy scepticism about the floating 11-storey lair. But gadget site Firebox is now offering it for sale as a Christmas gift. Price is 'on application' but the company says you should expect to pay several hundred million 'minimum'. The site also offers other surreal and very expensive gifts, such as a flying Back To The Future DeLorean car (yours for £70,000) - an idea familiar from ultra-luxury American catalogues such as Neiman Marcus, which in the past has offered gifts like...

House Republicans are set to vote later this week on a balanced budget amendment (BBA) that would not cap federal spending as a percentage of GDP or require a supermajority to raise taxes. Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the vote would probably take place this Friday. Cantor said that this version of a BBA, H.J. Res 2 -- rather than one that would cap federal spending, H.J. Res 1 -- was the version “overwhelmingly” favored by House Republicans.

A Tennessee woman who said she wanted a relationship--and did not want to be just “a booty call”--allegedly stabbed a male suitor Tuesday night after he became irate when she put the brakes on his attempts to “touch her suggestively,” police report. Oh, did we mention that the two are first cousins?

German and French officials have discussed plans for a radical overhaul of the European Union that would involve establishing a more integrated and potentially smaller euro zone, EU sources say. French President Nicolas Sarkozy gave some flavor of his thinking during an address to students in the eastern French city of Strasbourg on Tuesday, when he said a two-speed Europe -- the euro zone moving ahead more rapidly than all 27 countries in the EU -- was the only model for the future. The discussions among senior policymakers in Paris, Berlin and Brussels go further, raising the possibility of one...

Greek party leaders have named who will head the country's new coalition government. Barring any last-minute changes, sources said house speaker Filippos Petsalnikos would take over the post of Prime Minister. 'We have agreed on Petsalnikos but things can change between now and when the prime minister sees the president,' a source close to the discussions said.

Italy's cost of borrowing has touched a new record, a day after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he would resign once budget reforms are passed. The yield on Italian 10-year government bonds reached 7%, the highest since the euro was founded in 1999. The debt was pushed up as a clearing house asked for a larger deposit to trade Italian bonds - to cover the increased risk of non-payment. Investors fear that Italy could become the next victim of the debt crisis.

Fast developing story out of Rome. No details yet, but you can check it out on the Drudge Report.

Greece's Prime Minister has told Sky News the referendum on the the eurozone bailout plan will no longer go ahead - and it was never his intention for it to happen. "The referendum was never an end in itself," George Papandreou told the cabinet according to statements released by his office. "We had a dilemma - either true assent or a referendum. I said yesterday, if the assent were there, we would not need a referendum." Mr Papandreou had been under pressure to stand down, as a split emerged in his government over the plans to hold a public vote...

A retired heart surgeon saved the life of a police officer with just three minutes to spare after he had been stabbed in the throat by a crazed knifeman. Samad Tadjkarimi stemmed the flow of blood with his bare hands after finding Pc Paul Madden bleeding to death in the street. The officer was attacked by career criminal John Onyenaychi near a bus stop in Ealing last December. Mr Tadjkarimi, 65, was returning from Christmas shopping when he saw the 23-year-old officer with 'horrendous injuries' which medics say would have killed him within the next three minutes. Mr Tadjkarimi said:...

Slovakia's parliament has ratified a plan to bolster a eurozone rescue fund, just two days after MPs rejected it. The vote came after the government and opposition agreed to hold snap elections next year. The decision means all 17 eurozone states have now approved the plan to tackle the eurozone debt crisis.

The drug, known as “crocodile,” is synthesized from codeine and has been commonly used by as a substitute for heroin in Russia for the last few years. But its effects are much worse – some users have their skin peel off and parts of their bodies become gangrenous. After they begin using, addicts typically have a life expectancy of just a few years.

A Louisiana man arrested yesterday for driving around a Walmart parking lot with his penis exposed explained to cops that “he gets aroused” when visiting the retail giant, according to a police report.

A Ukraine court has found former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko guilty of abuse of authority for signing gas contracts with Russia and sentenced her Tuesday to seven years in prison. Authorities deployed hundreds of police officers around the court to keep order, state media reported. Dozens of angry Tymoshenko supporters took to the streets of Kiev in August when she was taken into custody. "Dear friends, I just want to say that I disagree with this verdict and I am saying that the year 1937 is back again," Tymoshenko said in the courtroom on Tuesday, making a reference to Josef...

The parents of a missing 10-month-old Missouri girl planned to make a public statement Friday after police announced that the couple had stopped talking with detectives investigating the baby's disappearance. Jeremy Irwin and Deborah Bradley didn't speak to the media Thursday night after a police news conference accusing them of no longer cooperating, but relatives read a statement insisting they never had stopped. The family said the couple would have more to say Friday.

Mexican security forces have found 32 bodies at several locations around the eastern city of Veracruz, according to the authorities, only two weeks after 35 corpses were dumped on a busy street in the Atlantic port. Just two days after the Mexican government unveiled a plan to lay down the law in the state of the same name, police and marines found the bodies in three different areas of the city, the navy said in a statement on Thursday.

Eccentric 85-year-old billionaire the Duchess of Alba — the world's most titled woman — married her toyboy yesterday in Spain's "wedding of the century". Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, famous for her frizzy blonde hair, wed civil servant Alfonso Diez, 60, in front of 38 guests at her £3billion palace.

A paedophile died after being disembowelled in an attack in his prison cell when he boasted about his sick crimes, it was claimed last night. Mitchell Harrison, 23, was killed at high-security Frankland Prison, in County Durham – where last year Soham killer Ian Huntley was slashed in the throat by a fellow inmate. Serial sex attacker Harrison was butchered with makeshift weapons, thought to be razor blades melted into toothbrush handles.

The Bundestag approved the expansion of the eurozone bailout fund by a huge majority on Thursday. Chancellor Angela Merkel breathed a sigh of relief as 315 government MPs voted her way, averting a damaging revolt.

Kyrgyzstan's parliament has voted to ban gambling, meaning casinos will close throughout the country. The bill was passed with almost no opposition, following repeated warnings from politicians that gambling has become a major social problem.

Saudi King Abdullah announced on Sunday he was giving women the right to vote and run in municipal elections, the only public polls in the ultra-conservative Gulf kingdom.

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos sought to reassure nervous markets and EU partners on Saturday by pledging his debt-ridden country would do whatever it takes to avoid default and stay in the euro zone. During an IMF meeting in Washington that was dominated by fears that Greek debt woes could trigger a wider European crisis, threatening banks and hurting the world economy, Venizelos dismissed any talk of bankruptcy.

Chief meteorologist Wes Hohenstein was doing the weather Thursday night on NBC17's 11 p.m. news when all of a sudden a small moth decided it didn't like what Wes had to say. Video at link.

A vanity post regarding the horrific attack in Norway today.

For those following the FIFA Women's World Cup, Team Japan beat Team USA in penalty overtime. Final score; 3-2.

Now that same-sex couples can marry, and call each other husband and wife, or whatever the preferred nomenclature, let's face it; it's an act of the imagination. So, what do you want to be today?

Peter Jackson lets us sneak a peek at work-in-progress; spy Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, with the director's comments

A Jerusalem rabbinical court recently sentenced a wandering dog to death by stoning. The cruel sentence stemmed from the suspicion that the hound was the reincarnation of a famous secular lawyer, who insulted the court's judges 20 years ago.

A Jewish rabbinical court condemned to death by stoning a stray dog it feared was the reincarnation of a lawyer who insulted its judges, reports say. The dog entered the Jerusalem financial court several weeks ago and would not leave, reports Israeli website Ynet. It reminded a judge of a curse passed on a now deceased secular lawyer about 20 years ago, when judges bid his spirit to enter the body of a dog.

A Canucks fan gets hit in the n**s with a police flashbang during the 2011 Stanley Cup riots.....the cop was a Blackhawks fan!

Under indirect pressure from the government to cancel plans to send a new flotilla to Gaza, the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, or İHH, is facing a growing split on the eve of a key decision to be announced Friday. “The evaluations are still ongoing. We are considering every option,” Hüseyin Oruç, a board member of the Turkish relief organization İHH and the spokesman for the new flotilla, told the Hürriyet Daily News.