Free Republic

Voters in 19 countries, including in three of the world’s largest democracies, are widely skeptical about whether their political elections are free and fair, and many favor a strong, undemocratic leader, according to a study released Thursday. The report by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, or International IDEA, concluded that “democratic institutions are falling short of people’s expectations.” The 35-member organization promotes democracy worldwide. ”It is past time that people’s perceptions are centered in conversations about the future of democracy; this analysis is a small but important first step towards that effort,” the Stockholm-based organization wrote. […]...

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said Tuesday on CNN’s “The Lead ” that it is former President Donald Trump’s fault the Arizona’s Supreme Court upheld a 123-year-old law that bans nearly all abortions except to save the life of the mother. […] He added, “I think what I’m more worried about is what’s next? I mean, if Donald Trump, I don’t believe he’s going to be re-elected, but is the next thing on his agenda to take away other rights? I mean, is it to take away the right to contraception from women?” …

The public has been repulsed by the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza, incoming Taoiseach (prime minister) Simon Harris has said. Mr. Harris said that Ireland stands ready to recognize the Palestinian state while calling for a two-state solution. In his keynote speech at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis* in Galway, the Fine Gael leader said the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza has worsened “before our eyes” and Ireland cannot stay silent on the actions of Israel. “We condemn the massacre carried out by Hamas in October and again call for the release of all hostages,” Mr Harris said....

The number of people seeking international protection in Ireland in the first three months of this year has risen by more than 2,000 compared to the same time last year. Figures from the Department of Justice show 5,163 people applied for international protection up to 28 March. This represents a rise of 2,170, or 72%, from the same period of time last year when 2,993 applications were made by 28 March 2023. More than one third of those who have applied for international protection so far this year are from Nigeria (1,668) while 416 are from Bangladesh, 400 from Pakistan,...

The Government is going to intervene in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, will update the Cabinet that he has directed officials to prepare a Declaration of Intervention. If approved by the Government, this will be filed at the court in The Hague for the case against Israel under the 1948 Genocide Convention. It is not clear yet what points of law Ireland will reply upon for its intervention. …

A New York judge issued a gag order Tuesday barring Donald Trump from making public statements about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial. Judge Juan M. Merchan cited the former president’s prior comments about him and others in the case, as well as a looming April 15 trial date, in granting a prosecution request for what it termed a “narrowly tailored” order barring Trump from making certain out-of-court statements. “It is without question that the imminency of the risk of harm is now paramount,” Merchan wrote. Prosecutors had asked for the gag order, citing...

The number of Border Patrol encounters with illegal aliens in Texas continued to plunge in February, thanks to the effectiveness of Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. Meanwhile, encounters spiked again in California and Arizona, where Democrat governors are in charge, as illegal aliens increasingly turned their focus to more welcoming borders. Through Operation Lone Star, Gov. Abbott has installed wire fencing at the border, deployed floating border barriers and called out the Texas National Guard to deter illegal immigration. And his efforts have been successful. Through the first five months of Fiscal Year 2024 (Oct.-Feb.), the number of...

Focus Ireland is hoping to help thousands of homeless people to register to vote ahead of the local and European elections in June. Focus Ireland’s director of advocacy, Mike Allen, said that there are around 9,500 homeless adults in Ireland and many of them would not be registered to vote. The charity is now hoping to change that as voting registration was simplified after the Electoral Reform Act was passed in 2022. More than 50,000 Irish people have spent at least one night of their lives homeless, according to figures published by Focus Ireland. …

Lucid said on Monday it is raising $1 billion in capital from an affiliate of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), sending the shares of the luxury electric carmaker up about 8%. The latest investment by the sovereign wealth fund underscores a key advantage Lucid has in the race for survival among struggling EV startups. The Saudi government, which has a 60% stake, has invested billions in Lucid’s success as part of a strategy to diversify the Kingdom’s economy beyond oil. Ayar Third Investment Company, a PIF affiliate, will buy $1 billion in convertible preferred stock and will be able...

Chief Executive of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association has described an increase in thefts last year — driven mainly by robberies from shops — as “frightening”. Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Vincent Jennings said it is not just just the thefts that are concerning, but the associated incidents — such as assaults, assaults causing harm, drunkenness, misogynistic and hateful comments being made to staff and public order offenses. Annual crime figures released by the Central Statistics Office show there was a significant increase in theft offenses last year. Almost half of the more than 74,000 thefts and related...

Ireland, Spain, Malta and Slovenia standing ready to recognize the Palestine state has given Palestinians “hope,” its ambassador has said. Earlier, in a joint-statement, the four countries’ prime ministers said they were ready to recognize the Palestine state when the “circumstances are right”. The Palestinian ambassador to Ireland, Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, welcomed the statement, describing it as “promising news”. She said it might only be a few EU countries, but that Ireland is “leading” the way and she expressed thanks for “all the Irish efforts”. …

A woman has sued director Roman Polanski, alleging he raped her in his home when she was a minor in 1973. The woman aired the allegations, which the 90-year-old Polanski has denied, in a news conference with her attorney, Gloria Allred, on Tuesday. The account is similar to the still-unresolved Los Angeles criminal sexual assault case that prompted Polanski in 1978 to flee to Europe, where he has remained since. The woman who filed the civil lawsuit said she went to dinner with Polanski, who knew she was under 18, in 1973, months after she had met him at a...

Former president Mary Robinson has called on the Taoiseach (prime minister) to urge the US to end its military and financial support for Israel during his meeting with Joe Biden at the White House. Leo Varadkar this afternoon met US President Joe Biden, with Ukraine, Gaza, Northern Ireland and the economic outlook on the agenda. The chairwoman of the Elders group said the focus should not be on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, but on political responses to it. Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, Mrs. Robinson said: “Yes, the humanitarian situation is utterly catastrophic and dire, reducing a people...

Taoiseach (Ireland prime minister) Leo Varadkar has started his visit to Washington DC at the Ireland Funds gala dinner last night, where he told the audience that Europe and America have a responsibility to bring an end to the injustices in the Holy Land. The event was also addressed by the First and Deputy First Minster of Northern Ireland. The Ireland Funds gala raised $1.2 million for the work of the fund, supporting cross community and cross border projects in Ireland. […] “The brutal and indiscriminate attacks carried out by Hamas on Israeli civilians on 7 October were vicious terrorist...

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is urging the White House to swap chicken eggs for potatoes at their annual Easter Egg Roll this year. The controversial organization wrote in a letter to First Lady Jill Biden that it wants to “suggest an appealing way to modernize the White House Easter Egg Roll,” which is set for April 1st on the South Lawn. […] … PETA President Ingrid Newkirk states … a ”potato roll” would not “exploit any sentient beings and would encourage empathy and kindness to animals while supporting potato farmers in the U.S.” …

England’s National Health Service banned the use of puberty blockers for children seeking treatment for gender dysphoria, citing limited research. Puberty blockers, or gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa), is a class of drugs that suppresses sex hormones in adolescents by continually stimulating the pituitary gland. It will now only be available to children in limited ways, such as clinical trials. The NHS’s website said, “Puberty blockers (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogues) are not available to children and young people for gender incongruence or gender dysphoria because there is not enough evidence of safety and clinical effectiveness.” NHS England had previously ordered the London-based...

The Uvalde, Texas, Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez, reportedly submitted his resignation to the city during a meeting Tuesday, which will be effective on April 6, according to reports. The Uvalde Leader-News reported that Rodriguez nor city administrators specified why the chief was resigning, though the decision comes just days after the city released a report clearing officers of any wrongdoing in the tragic shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead. …

President Michael D. Higgins has issued a blistering critique of the situation in Gaza, saying it is scandalous that humanitarian aid and medical supplies are being blocked from entering the coastal strip. He added that those nations responsible for allowing the blockade to continue “must take responsibility for the deaths that are ensuing”. The President also criticized a “propaganda campaign” against the United Nations and called on countries to increase aid for the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA). Several countries, including the US and UK, have paused funding for the relief agency in Gaza following claims from Israel that some...

Mississippi’s Secretary of State (Michael Watson) has sent a letter to President Biden’s Department of Justice asking it to stop enforcing a Biden executive order that he warns is being used to attempt to register ineligible convicts and illegal immigrants to vote. …

One in every five car owners are planning to get rid of their car over the coming years, new research has found. The rising cost of running a car is among the big drivers, the survey discovered, with almost two thirds citing this as an influence on their decision. However, just over three quarters said that grocery shopping remains the biggest barrier to them doing away with their wheels. A little over a third claimed they use their car every day to get to and from work. Overall, a fifth of car users said they would prefer to use their...