Free Republic

Vladimir Putin staged a lavish Orthodox Christmas Eve dinner for children of soldiers killed in Ukraine as he attempted to present himself as a caring leader by ordering officials to do more for the country’s troops. (snip) The Russian leader vowed to back those “with arms in hands” as he hosted Saturday evening’s heavily choreographed event at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence on the outskirts of Moscow. It came as festivities were cancelled in the border region of Belgorod amid continued Ukrainian attacks that have left dozens dead over the past week. “Many of our men, our courageous, heroic men, the soldiers...

A mob of over 100 looters purposefully crashed a Kia into a small Compton bakery before they flooded in and ransacked the store during a night of rampage on the streets earlier this week. The thieves had gathered in the area for an illegal street takeover around 3 a.m. Tuesday before making the mile-long trek to Ruben’s Bakery & Mexican Food. When they got to the locked store, a white Kia emerged and backed into the front doors, clearing an entryway for the crowd of pillagers to get to their loot.

Video (no youtube) Golan Vach, member of the famous musical Vach family and commander of an Israeli rescue unit, spoke to the Hershkovitz family as they mourned their father, educator Yossi Hershkovitz, who fell while fighting in Gaza. (translation of Golan Vach's narration in the video: "It was total darkness and suddenly someone was in the living room near us and I hear him humming," he recalled. "I called out, 'Yoss?' and he replied, 'Yes.' I asked him what he was humming and he said it was a song that he used to sing to himself. I asked him if...

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. - One Kia owner got so fed up after his car was stolen he decided to dump the vehicle off at the dealership where he bought it and walk four hours back home. On Monday, Behrouz Alimoradi said someone stole his Kia. The incident happened in Federal Way. Alimoradi said police found the car. But as it sat parked in the driveway, he says someone came back and smashed out all the windows. "I’m tired, you know. I swear I’m tired about this car," he said. Alimoradi says in two years, he has dealt with four different...

Police said a stolen Kia was used to break down the front door of a medical marijuana dispensary in the city's Wynnefield section on Tuesday night, amid multiple incidents of looting across Philadelphia. Police leadership said the looting was committed by groups of juveniles and was unrelated to protests after a judge dismissed all charges including a murder count against Mark Dial, the officer who shot and killed Eddie Irizarry in Kensington last month. looting-at-curaleaf-philadelphia-51st-and-wynnefield.jpg CBS NEWS PHILADELPHIA Police were called to the Curaleaf at 51st Street and City Avenue for reports of a break-in. Our cameras saw the door...

Hyundai and Kia are recalling nearly 3.4 million vehicles in the U.S. and telling owners to park them outside due to the risk of engine compartment fires. The recalls cover multiple car and SUV models from the 2010 through 2019 model years including Hyundai's Santa Fe SUV and Kia's Sorrento SUV. Documents posted Wednesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say the anti-lock brake control module can leak fluid and cause an electrical short, which can touch off a fire while the vehicles are parked or being driven. The automakers are advising owners to park outdoors and away...

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Video shows a group of people driving away in a navy blue Kia Sedona minivan stolen in broad daylight from a Lakewood Safeway. One of the suspects even shouts, “I know you mad, I know you mad!” and “Kia Boyz!” as the group drives away. The victim, 27-year-old mom Kennedy Grenier, took the video. She said she had just popped into the Safeway for two minutes to grab a drink. When she came outside, her car was being stolen. She says at one point, the suspects even tried to run her over. Grenier adds she is also...

Scientists are using a series of DNA tests to identify the remains of missing service members and bring closure to generations of families. More than 81,000 Americans are missing from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars and other conflicts, according to the U.S. Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency.

The remains of a 24-year-old U.S. pilot who never returned from a bombing mission in World War II have been accounted for and confirmed, officials from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said Monday. Charles G. Reynolds was a U.S. Army Air Forces first lieutenant from Bridgeport, Ohio, the agency said in a news release. In late 1943, he was a pilot assigned to the 498th Bombardment Squadron in the Pacific Theater. On Nov. 27, 1943, the plane that he was a crewmember of did not return from a bombing mission near Wewak, New Guinea, the agency said, because the aircraft...

HCMC – Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric cars, assembled by Hyundai Thanh Cong Vietnam Auto Joint Venture JSC (HTV) in Ninh Binh Province, are now available at showrooms in Vietnam with a starting price of VND1.3 billion per unit. HTV announced yesterday, July 31, that the joint venture officially rolled out the first batch of Hyundai IONIQ 5 vehicles for distribution in Vietnam. This is the first time that a high-tech electric vehicle model from Hyundai Motor has been assembled in Vietnam. Hyundai IONIQ 5 vehicles are assembled at Hyundai Thanh Cong 2 plant (HTMV2) in the northern province of Ninh...

Dirty hands point the fingers. Just when you thought the regressive Democrats couldn’t go lower in their race-to-the-bottom blame game, Chicago’s newly-elected mayor Brandon Johnson comes in and shows you just how ludicrous they can really be. And, to take the old adage “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me” into account, against all odds, I’m sure they’ll sink deeper yet. Reported by Fox News this past weekend:Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office announced that the city filed the lawsuit against automakers Kia and Hyundai, alleging that both companies have failed to include ‘industry-standard engine...

The owner of a Kia shot an accused car thief several times during a confrontation at a Texas apartment complex, San Antonio police told news outlets. Officers responded to a 911 call from an apartment complex on the city’s northeast side at about 4 a.m. Aug. 10, police told KENS. A resident spotted a man trying to break into his Kia, police told the station. The resident went outside, along with his girlfriend, to confront him, police told the outlet. The accused thief ordered the man to bring him his car keys, which he had left in his apartment, police...

Hyundai and Kia will tell owners of certain models of their cars to park them outside due to the risk of fire from their electric oil pump assembly. “The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat,” read letters to both companies confirming details about the recall by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Models affected include certain 2023 Kia Souls, 2024 Hyundai Elantras and 2023 and 2024 Hyundai Palisades, according to the NHTSA letters. The letter says owners of the vehicles will be notified...

A man sitting outside an Ohio gas station was beaten by a group of 12 teenagers in a brutal and unprovoked attack, Cleveland officials say. Surveillance video captured the group arriving at the gas station — on the city’s northeast side — in stolen Kias and Hyundais at about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 25, city officials said at a news briefing. Several teens walk up to a man sitting against a wall and unleash a flurry of kicks and punches, video shared by officials shows. The man tries to get away, but more of the group step in, surrounding...

A 14-year-old boy was put under arrest earlier this month after he was caught attempting a Kia Boys-esque stunt on a Hyundai in North Texas, according to Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth. After he was taken into custody, police realized he was tied to at least 38 other TikTok-inspired car thefts and break-ins in the area. Cops in Plano, TX say the teen was trying to steal another car when homeowners realized what was happening and called authorities. They blame the Kia Boys trend on TikTok for teaching him how to target and steal these cars. Police also say that they...

New York City joined several cities and states in suing South Korean car makers Kia and Hyundai over allegations that the vehicles are too easy to steal. In a filing to the Southern District of New York, the city complained that its law enforcement resources had been stretched to the brink due to an explosion in Kia and Hyundai thefts. The lawsuit claimed that the companies knowingly cut costs on anti-theft technology in order to boost profits. "Hyundai’s and Kia’s business decisions to reduce costs, and thereby boost profits, by foregoing common anti-theft technology have resulted in an epidemic of...

Automakers Hyundai Motor America and Kia America Inc. have agreed to pay roughly $200 million to settle a class-action lawsuit after the car companies saw a rise in thefts. “The agreement, which could be valued at approximately $200 million depending on how many customers elect to participate, will provide cash compensation for customers who incurred theft-related vehicle losses or damage not covered by insurance, in addition to reimbursement for insurance deductibles, increased insurance premiums, and other theft-related losses,” Hyundai said in a release.

Car thefts are a MAJOR problem in gang-infested US cities. We've covered the Kia Boys in Milwaukee, who specialize in stealing Kias and Hyundais, and similar street gangs, stealing Kias, are in other major US cities including Baltimore. And Baltimore has finally decided to do something about it: VIDEOS AT LINK............. The city of Baltimore has filed a federal lawsuit against car manufacturers Kia and Hyundai, joining a number of cities who say the companies created a public nuisance by making cars that can be easily stolen. "Hyundai and Kia's decision to put cost savings and profits over public safety...

A Kia Soul was launched into the air after hitting a tire that popped off a nearby pickup truck in Chatsworth. Amazingly no one was seriously injured.

DETROIT -- Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are once again warning drivers of certain models of their vehicles to park outside due an increased fire risk. According to the Associated Press, 571,000 vehicles are being recalled due to a problem with the tow hitch harnesses which can catch fire when the car is parked or when it’s being driven. According to safety regulators, the fire risk stems from water which can get into a circuit board on the hitches, which can then cause short circuit even if the ignitions are off. Until repairs can be made, the automakers say owners...