Free Republic

Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first comments on the recent attack by Hamas on Israel during talks in Moscow with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani on Oct. 10. During the meeting, which was filmed by Russian state-owned media, Putin claimed that the situation was "a clear example of the failure of U.S. policy in the Middle East." Putin alleged that the U.S. has not taken into account "the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people," adding that it is necessary to create an "independent sovereign Palestinian state."This requires the implementation of "the decisions of the UN Security Council" on the...

TORONTO — David Ayres was sitting in the stands with his wife at Scotiabank Arena when Carolina Hurricanes goalie James Reimer went down with an injury. The on-call emergency netminder in Toronto, Ayers left his seat and got half-dressed into his gear on the off-chance something might happen to Carolina's second option, Petr Mrazek. Midway through the second period, Ayres noticed his cellphone started to blow up. What he didn't realize was that Mrazek had been hurt in a scary collision with Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford and was down on the ice. "One of the equipment guys came in...

Dwelle Jerome Clark was stabbed in the stomach by his ex-girlfriend Edna White moments after he caught her rummaging through his mother’s handbag. “He said, ‘Stay out of my mom’s things,’” witness to the stabbing Omar Mills said Wednesday. According to Mills, after Clark, 55, uttered those words, White, 56, started hitting him with a walking cane. Clark then took the cane away from her, Mills said, and walked into his bedroom. White then grabbed a butcher knife from atop a dresser, followed Clark into his room and stabbed him in the abdomen, Mills said.

... But most football people, and especially football coaches, are of the "Football Is Not a Matter of Life and Death -- It's More Important Than That" school of thought. However, when Randy Shannon, recently named head coach of the University of Miami Hurricanes, says that football can be a matter of life and death, that is not hyperbole, it is autobiography...

WASHINGTON, August 3, 2006 -- Some wounded veterans may never walk again, which is why Korean War veteran Jack Nitz wants to make sure they at least smile again. After watching a news story about servicemembers who lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan, the former Navy petty officer first class decided to use his love for woodcarving to honor and support wounded troops by carving personalized “presentation canes” for them. “Presentation canes are an artistic symbol of support and honor to the recipient,” he said. Each individually hand-crafted cane is engraved with the wounded veteran’s name, branch, rank, and date...

STANLEY CUP FINAL MATCHUP TIED AT 3-3; PUCK DROPS SHORTLY AFTER 8 P.M. The 2006 Stanley Cup Final is tied at three games apiece between the Edmonton Oilers and the Eastern Conference Champion Carolina Hurricanes, with Game 7 taking place tonight at the RBC Center in Raleigh. The first 18,000 fans in attendance will receive rally towels, courtesy of Harris Teeter and Mix 101.5 FM, and Game Day Cards, compliments of OLN and Litho Industries. Puck drop is shortly after at 8 p.m. - catch all the action on NBC and on the Hurricanes Radio Network.

Malaysian courts have ordered seven illegal immigrants to be jailed and caned in the first cases to be tried under the country's tough new immigration laws. Seven men, aged between 22 and 38, were convicted of staying in Malaysia without valid documents under legislation which came into effect at the end of July. Indonesians protested against the new laws Four Indonesians were sentenced to two stokes of the cane. Another Indonesian and two Bangladeshis were ordered to be whipped once. The seven were also sentenced to jail terms of between six months and two years. They will all be deported...