Free Republic

Yemen's Houthi rebels fired their largest-ever barrage of drones and missiles targeting shipping in the Red Sea, forcing the United States and British navies to shoot down the projectiles in a major naval engagement, authorities said Wednesday. No damage was immediately reported. The attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis came despite a planned United Nations Security Council vote later Wednesday to potentially condemn and demand an immediate halt to the attacks by the rebels, who say their assaults are aimed at stopping Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, their targets increasingly have little — or no — connection...

Ukraine has again endured a night of heavy bombardment, with what was reportedly over 30 missiles and drones targeting cities across the country in an air raid of “unprecedented” intensity. “A series of air attacks on Kyiv, unprecedented in their power, intensity and variety” took place overnight into Thursday morning a spokesman for the city of Kyivv said, with the Ukrainian government saying it had successfully shot down 29 Kalibir missiles, two suicide attack drones, and two reconnaissance drones.

When Sean Youra was 26 years old and working as an engineer, he started watching documentaries about climate change. Youra, who was struggling with depression and the loss of a family member, was horrified by what he learned about melting ice and rising extreme weather. He started spending hours on YouTube, watching videos made by fringe scientists who warned that the world was teetering on the edge of societal collapse — or even near-term human extinction. Youra started telling his friends and family that he was convinced that climate change couldn’t be stopped, and humanity was doomed. In short, he...

A 3-year-old boy was killed and his 4-year-old sister was wounded when several gunmen fired nearly 150 rounds into a North Carolina home — in what police believe was tied to a high school feud. Asiah Figueroa was asleep just before midnight Tuesday when the suspected teenage gunmen pulled up in two cars to his great-grandmother’s Charlotte home and squeezed off hundreds of bullets, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said. Asiah was struck by the gunfire and later died at a hospital. His 4-year-old sister was also struck, but is expected to survive, police said. Investigators released two videos of the suspects pulling...

Palestinians say Hamas targets hit by IAF planes; 6 mortar shells land in Eshkol, 12 rockets fired deep into Israel; Barak condemns attacks. Palestinian officials reported on Thursday evening that the IAF carried out air strikes on buildings belonging to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Initial reports suggest that a number of people were injured during the strikes. Shorty after the IDF finished its operations in the Gaza Strip, 6 mortar shells landed in open fields in the Eshkol Regional Council on Thursday evening. No injuries were reported and no damage was caused. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel...

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A barrage of about a dozen rockets struck near Baghdad's fortified Green Zone diplomatic and government compound on Sunday evening in what appeared to be one of the biggest strikes in weeks. The rockets could be heard whistling past from the east of the Iraqi capital as they flew in the direction of the riverside compound and exploded, Reuters correspondents on the opposite river bank said. The strikes took place during a heavy sandstorm. U.S. forces normally use helicopters to retaliate against fighters who target the Green Zone, but sandstorms prevent the helicopters from flying, letting fighters...

Baghdad mortar barrage kills 16 Doura district has often been attacked by insurgents A barrage of mortar attacks in southern Baghdad has killed at least 16 Iraqis and injured more than 40. A police source told the BBC that a total of eight mortars had been fired into the mainly Shia area of Doura. The attacks come after days of sectarian tensions that have left at least 165 dead since Wednesday. Political and militia leaders say they have made progress in talks to curb the violence that was sparked by the bombing of a major Shia shrine. However, an explosion...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The Israeli military fired a barrage of artillery and missiles at the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, hitting two offices of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and a bridge the army said was used by militants to reach areas where they fire rockets. Hours later, about 40 gunmen took over an election office in the neighborhood of A-Ram just outside of Jerusalem, demanding that the ruling Fatah Party include more representatives of the neighborhood in its list for parliamentary elections on Jan. 25, said Ziyad Al-Bakri, the coordinator of the office. Earlier in the day, about...

SACRAMENTO -- In a bit of role reversal, California school kids will tote cell phones and adults will ride motorized scooters, all starting in 2003. Hundreds of state laws are set to take effect, most on Jan. 1. Some are small changes in outdated codes, while others will have more consequence in the daily lives of Californians. The laws come after months of state Capitol debate, all in a year capped by November's gubernatorial and legislative elections. In addition, a chronic and ever-expanding budget shortfall meant lawmakers felt pressure to limit the scope of their proposals. In a controversial, labor-backed...