Free Republic

Putting on its Victorian gentleman suit (pace Tom Wolfe), the Washington Post's editorial board tut-tuts a rich part of Washington, D.C. and its political patrons, for pulling out all stops to prevent construction of a child-migrant shelter in its fancy environs. MANY AMERICANS are rightly outraged by the Trump administration’s treatment of migrant children, who have been separated from parents and ill-treated by authorities. Democrats have been understandably eager to distance themselves from such policies — a stance that can result in knee-jerk opposition even to sensible practices in effect during the Obama administration. That might explain the nearly uniform outcry from Washington-area politicians incensed...

President Barack Obama on Tuesday hailed the end of the policy banning gays from serving openly in the armed forces, as the Pentagon vowed "zero tolerance" for harassment of homosexuals in the military. "Today, the discriminatory law known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is finally and formally repealed," Obama said in a statement. "As of today, patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love." The repeal went into effect on Tuesday, ushering in a new era in the armed forces. The law had allowed gay men...

Drudge Siren: ALLEN'S REVENGE: EXPOSES RIVAL'S NOVEL WRITINGS; UNDERAGE SEX SCENES

Police are appealing for calm after four men were beaten up in a mosque last night. Two men were arrested on suspicion of racial assault after police were called to the Eccles Mosque on Liverpool Road in Salford, Greater Manchester, shortly before 9.30pm following a report of an attack inside the building. One man was taken to Hope Hospital but has since been discharged. The other three men were only slightly hurt and did not need hospital treatment. A 37-year-old man from Eccles and a 19-year-old man from Davyhulme, Trafford, were arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated Section 37 assault...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Aug 26, 2006 (AP)— Two missiles fired by Israeli aircraft early Sunday morning hit an armored car belonging to the Reuters news agency, moderately wounding two television cameramen and three bystanders, Palestinian witnesses and hospital officials said. The Israeli army said it was checking the report. According to witnesses, a Reuters cameraman and a freelance cameraman working for an Arabic network were standing outside the vehicle in the Shajaiyeh neighborhood of Gaza filming a nearby Israeli raid when the missiles hit the car. The white sports utility vehicle was emblazoned with the Reuters logo and had...

Denis Donaldson was expelled from Sinn Fein in December Mr Donaldson was expelled from the party last December after admitting he was a paid British spy for 20 years. The IRA issued a statement saying it had "no involvement whatsoever" in Mr Donaldson's death in County Donegal. Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern described the death as a "brutal murder", while NI Secretary Peter Hain said it was "barbaric". Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he wanted to "disassociate (his party) and all republicans who support the peace process from this killing". The death of Mr Donaldson came hours before a...

GULFPORT, Miss. - U.S. Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record) says personal losses he suffered because of Hurricane Katrina will weigh on his decision whether to run for re-election in 2006. -- snip -- Another consideration, he said, is that he is "so disappointed with the (Bush) administration's response to this disaster that I'm almost embarrassed." ...

AUSTIN -- Dick DeGuerin, lawyer for indicted Rep. Tom DeLay on Tuesday subpoenaed the prosecuting Texas district attorney in an effort to show he acted improperly with grand jurors. The subpoena for Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, filed in Austin, asked that the prosecutor and two of his assistants appear in court to explain their conduct. The lawyers, previously had filed a motion asking for dismissal of the conspiracy and money-laundering charges against DeLay, the former House majority leader who has stepped aside from that post because of the indictment. Dick DeGuerin, DeLay's attorney, also asked that grand jurors...

MADRID, Spain (AP) - Inmates on Friday beat up a suspected al-Qaida cell leader jailed on charges he helped plot the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, breaking his jaw, nose and a tooth and injuring one of his eyes, Spanish officials said. Imad Yarkas, 42, a Syrian-born Spaniard, was set upon by other prisoners in the dining hall of a prison in the eastern city of Castellon, said officials at the Interior Ministry department that oversees Spain's prisons. Spanish government press officials did not give their names. An investigation has been opened because Yarkas, who is being held...

Far right and football gangs plot 'revenge' Police monitor anti-Muslim websites Hugh Muir Friday July 15, 2005 Guardian Plans by an alliance of rightwing extremists and football hooligans to exact "revenge" on Muslims after last week's bomb attacks are being monitored by police. The Guardian has learned that extremists are keen to cause widespread fear and injury with attacks on mosques and high-profile "anti-Muslim" events in the capital. Football hooligans communicating over the internet have spoken of the need to put aside partisan support for teams and unite against Muslims. Hooligans from West Ham, Millwall, Crystal Palace and Arsenal are...

Paris Olympics failure is a blow for Chirac Wed Jul 6, 2005 7:16 PM BST By Timothy Heritage PARIS (Reuters) - Paris's defeat by London in the race to host the 2012 Olympic Games was a bitter blow for French President Jacques Chirac that was all the more painful because he lost out again to his rival Tony Blair. Chirac badly needed a victory to lift his political fortunes after a French "No" vote on the European constitution that left him sorely wounded and a furore over comments attributed to him criticising British food. The prime minister not only emerged...

Two down… Filed under: Sweden Iraq- Billy (Stockholm, Sweden)@ 8:24 pm Yesterday we noted that Ulf Hjertström, the sexagenarian Swede who survived a 67-day kidnapping ordeal in Baghdad, reportedly was paying professional bounty hunters a handsome fee to track down his erstwhile captors. Expressen, a Swedish tabloid, picked up the story and got in touch with Hjertström to get the lowdown. Hjertström, an oil broker whose career took him to Iraq 25 years ago, makes no bones about the decision to exact revenge on his abductors. “I’ve lived [in Iraq] for a long time. This is how things are done...

New York – The United States poured cold water on Germany’s bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council yesterday, saying that it favoured adding only two full-time seats to the top table of international diplomacy. Washington, which can block any expansion of the 15-nation council, said that it wanted to add two permanent members, including Japan. Bush Administration officials were quoted as saying that the second seat should go to a developing nation and that Washington would also support the addition of up to three new rotating non- permanent seats. The long-awaited American position was interpreted...

LEBANON — Former Ohio Rep. Jean Schmidt edged former Congressman Bob McEwen by 705 votes in the special primary to pick the Republican to represent the party in an Aug. 2 election to replace former Congressman Rob Portman, according to unofficial totals. Schmidt won with 11,486 votes after results in Hamilton and Clermont counties were added to earlier returns showing McEwen with the lead among 11 GOP candidates running to replace Portman, who is leaving the 2nd Congressional District seat after 12 years to become the U.S. foreign trade representative.... Brinkman finished third with 8,554 votes, Hamilton County Commissioner Pat...