Free Republic

Florida man confessed to using the United States Postal Service to plot and pay $10,000 for the murder of his former girlfriend’s new love interest. Ryan Aziz Ferris Hadeed pleaded guilty Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale federal court to a charge of using the mail to commit murder-for-hire, court records show... Hadeed left the country on a one-way ticket to the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago the same day the supposed hit man received the cash and pictures, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. During a secondary customs inspection of Hadeed when he returned to the U.S. from his international trip,...

On April 3, authorities in Trinidad and Tobago found 200 kilos of cocaine near the rudder trunk of the Teekay-operated LNG carrier Hispania Spirit. According to the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, the master of the Spirit spotted suspicious packages towards the stern of the vessel during a regular security check at about 0800 hours. He notified the authorities, and TT Coast Guard divers found seven bales of cocaine attached to the rudder or rudder trunk (accounts differ). The stash weighed about 200 kilos, an amount that would be worth an estimated $18 million (TT$120 million). Before she departed, the Hispania...

The new TTT television station must be the “gold standard” of quality in broadcasting and lead the charge in providing factual, accurate information and combating “fake news,” Prime Dr Keith Rowley has indicated. He did so yesterday as he launched TTT Limited—formerly CNMG—at Maraval Road, Port-of-Spain. “In closing CNMG, we’re opening the door to a brighter future,” Rowley added. Rowley said TTT needed to adhere to high standards because of the seriousness of the role the media plays in citizens’ lives.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley last night unreservedly apologised to the Hindu community for a skit performed at the People’s National Movement (PNM) family day, saying the skit was disrespectful to that religion but it was done out of ignorance and not malicious intent. Rowley gave the apology during a PNM political meeting held at the Malabar Community Centre last night. “Tonight, on behalf of the People’s National Movement and all concerned, I unreservedly apologise to the Hindu community,” he said.

Gay sex between consenting men in Trinidad and Tobago could soon be decriminalised following a court judgment that campaigners said might spark similar decisions elsewhere in the Caribbean. In his ruling on Thursday, judge Devindra Rampersad said sections of the Sexual Offences Act, which prohibit “buggery” and “serious indecency” between two men, criminalised consensual same-sex activity between adults, and were unconstitutional. “The judge came down on the right side of history in this case by striking down the buggery law and ruling it as unconstitutional,” said Kenita Placide, Caribbean advisor for rights group OutRight Action International, in a statement. The...

Trinidad Guardian:-Trinidadian Abu Sa’d at Trinidadi is among Isis spokesmen from several countries who have urged sympathisers, including among T&T Muslims, to launch home turf attacks against Christians. at-Trinidadi ’s story is featured in the July edition of Dabiq, Isis’ online magazine being published since 2014. It is aimed at recruitment, unitarianism, truth-seeking, migration and holy war among matters. The July edition, issued last weekend and obtained by T&T Guardian last Sunday, is based on the theme “Break the Cross.” It features Christian converts, including at-Trinidadi , from the US, Canada, Finland and Jamaica who have called for supporters to...

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, May 30, CMC – Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj has called on the Keith Rowley administration to set up a three-member task force to investigate the construction of a multi-billion dollar highway that has since come to a halt when the former People’s Partnership government was defeated in the September 7 general elections last year. Maharah, who is also advocating for a Commission of Inquiry into the matter, told a news conference on Sunday that the government had an obligation to determine how the TT$7.5 billion (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) funds were spent on the...

SNIPPET: "The arrest of a woman accused of hiding more than 10,000 diamonds inside her body when she landed at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport comes amid warnings that Canada is one of the countries where illicit diamonds have been used for money laundering." SNIPPET: "The woman had landed at Pearson on a Feb. 3 flight from Trinidad and Tobago, when she came to the attention of a Canada Border Services Agency officer, according to CBSA spokeswoman Vanessa Barrasa. The RCMP said the woman was found to have carried 10,202 stones inside her. The 1,500 carats (about 300 grams) of rough...

"IRAN SPY NETWORK 30,000 STRONG Pentagon report: Iranian intelligence linked to spying, terror attacks" SNIPPET: "Iran’s intelligence service includes 30,000 people who are engaged in covert and clandestine activities that range from spying to stealing technology to terrorist bombings and assassination, according to a Pentagon report." SNIPPET: "“MOIS provides financial, material, technological, or other support services to Hamas, Hezbollah, and al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), all designated terrorist organizations under U.S. Executive Order 13224,” the report said. The spy service operates in all areas where Iran has interests, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Central Asia, Africa, Austria, Azerbaijan, Croatia, France,...

SNIPPET: "An Argentine prosecutor has accused Iran of trying to infiltrate countries in Latin America to sponsor and carry out "terrorist activities". Alberto Nisman said Iran was attempting to set up intelligence-gathering stations in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and other countries in the region. Mr Nisman is investigating a bomb attack that killed 85 people in a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires in 1994." SNIPPET: ""I legally accuse Iran of infiltrating several South American countries to install intelligence stations - in other words espionage bases - destined to commit, encourage and sponsor terror attacks like the one that took place against...

MADRID - Spanish oil firm Repsol YPF SA has begun offshore drilling in Cuban waters as part of its global exploration operations, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday. Deep-water exploration drilling began about 50 kilometers north of Havana and will take at least 60 days to complete, this person added. Repsol is resuming exploration in the area after it failed to find exploitable oil in 2004. The U.S. Geological Survey has said there could be a substantial amount of untapped oil off the Cuban coast. The Repsol well is much closer to Florida than any other well in...

In an effort to push the global warming agenda forward, Mr. Ki-Moon and Queen Elizabeth were in attendance in Trinidad and Tobago at a Climate Change / Global Warming event. Apparently sensing the changing tide (pun intended) there was a sense of urgency much like closing a deal on a longterm sale that you feel slipping from you fingers.

PORT OF SPAIN, June 26, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The government of the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago has made a strong statement in favor of maintaining the role of traditional marriage in the country's cultural and social fabric, and said it will not relax its restrictions on abortion.In the latest draft of the "National Policy on Gender and Development of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago," which was approved by the Cabinet yesterday, the government affirms that it is opposed to same-sex relationships and will not endorse same-sex "marriage," and has rejected a proposal to re-define "gender" to...

Note: The following text is a quote: Former State Department Official and Wife Arrested for Serving as Illegal Agents of Cuba for Nearly 30 Years Couple Allegedly Conspired to Provide Classified Information to Cuban Government A former State Department official and his wife have been arrested on charges of serving as illegal agents of the Cuban government for nearly 30 years and conspiring to provide classified U.S. information to the Cuban government. The arrests were announced today by David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Channing D. Phillips, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Joseph Persichini, Jr.,...

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Rise in demand is putting pressure on authorities Illegal immigrants fearful of being caught in stepped-up workplace raids are fueling a growing market in Houston for phony immigration and work documents. The result, experts say, is a glut of false, altered and counterfeit documents that are easily obtained at Houston-area flea markets, businesses and clandestine printing shops set up in homes and apartments. The bogus documents include counterfeit Texas driver's licenses, fake Social Security and "green cards," and even worthless international driver's licenses sold here and in other states. "You could put all of HPD full time on...

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario Several members of a suspected terrorist ring prayed daily at a storefront mosque in a middle-class city west of Toronto but never spoke of hurting others, one of their prayer leaders said. "I will say that they were steadfast, religious people. There's no doubt about it. But here we always preach peace and moderation," Qamrul Khanson, an imam at the one-room Al-Rahman Islamic Center for Islamic Education, said Sunday. The 40-50 Muslim families who worship at the mosque were astonished, he said, to learn that police had arrested 12 adults, ages 19 to 43, and five suspects younger...

Arima · Seated at a table under a traditional Carib Indian thatch roof, cousins Jason Calderon and Rosa Bharath are busy hot-gluing sequins on decorations for Carnival, listening to pop music on the radio while clad in the latest teen fashions: hip T-shirts, knockoff adidas shoes and earrings that look like diamonds.

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago, an English speaking country, has decided to that all of its citizens will speak Spanish by the year 2020. The idea is that if Trinidad is more linguistically compatible with Latin America there will be an increase in trade. Another alleged benefit is the possibility of luring the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas. The problem is that it is difficult for adults to learn a new language. Children, whose brains are still developing, can quickly are easily trained in foreign languages. But adults have a lot more trouble, and most...

Talisman Energy Inc. (TSX:TLM) TLM announced first production from the offshore Angostura field in Trinidad and Tobago. Oil production commenced on January 9 and the export pipeline to the onshore terminal at Guayaguayare Bay is being filled. This was preceded by first natural gas production on December 16. "This marks the beginning of a new producing area for Talisman," said Dr. Jim Buckee, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We will continue the offshore drilling program this year and Talisman expects to drill its first onshore wells later this year. Work is also continuing to commercialize the Angostura natural gas reserves."...

Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama are on alert for the possible entry of suspected terrorist Adnan G. El Shukrijumah, after Honduran authorities warned that the 29-year old suspect, referred to by law enforcement sources as "the next Mohammed Atta," may be seeking to cross into one of the countries. Costa Rica is bordered on the north by Nicaragua and on the south by Panama. Shukrijumah, who is considered one of the FBI's "top 5" terrorist concerns, allegedly was spotted in Honduras on May 27 at a Tegucigalpa Internet cafe. "We found out that this man was in Tegucigalpa at the...