Free Republic

Former Public Security Minister and Supreme Court magistrate Celso Gamboa Sánchez admitted he held at least two meetings with undercover agents and DEA informants. Gamboa made the statement during an interview with Teletica’s Siete Días program. Journalist Stefanía Colombari asked him directly about recorded conversations presented as evidence in his extradition case to the United States. “No, I do not deny it,” Gamboa replied. “I do not deny it because I remember the conversation as just one more event among many in which I have participated.” The meetings occurred on September 20, 2023, and November 7, 2023. Court documents from...

A man in Malta who faced more than three years of legal battles after giving his testimony about leaving homosexuality was found not guilty of "advertising conversion practices" by a Maltese court on Wednesday."I'm very thankful," Matthew Grech said in a brief Facebook video he posted outside the court after the ruling.Grech, 36, was slapped with criminal charges in 2022 for allegedly discussing and promoting so-called conversion practices in violation of Article 3 of Malta's Affirmation of Sexual Orientation, Gender and Gender Expression Act. He appeared in court 17 times over charges that carried €5,000 (over $5,700) in fines or...

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said Thursday that Republicans need to find an alternative to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election, saying the party needs "a candidate who can actually win." "I think President Trump’s time has passed him by," Cornyn said when asked about the 2024 Republican presidential primary, which is still taking shape. "I don’t think President Trump understands that when you run in a general election, you have to appeal to voters beyond your base."

Two Competing Visions of the Priesthood: The New Synodal Document vs. the SSPXRome’s new Synodal blueprint for forming priests marks a decisive break with the Catholic understanding of the priesthood. As the Vatican threatens the SSPX with censure, the real conflict is no longer about obedience—but about two irreconcilable visions of the Church.Under the direction of Leo XIV, the “General Secretariat of the Synod” published two reports of Synod on Synodality study groups on March 3rd, one related to “the digital environment” and another related to the formation of priests. The document on the formation of priests — “The revision...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican Synod Report Urges Women’s Input in Preparing Future PriestsThe report also warns seminaries must not become an “artificial environment” detached from the ordinary life of the faithful.The General Secretariat of the Synod has published a preliminary report urging that women’s “views and assessments” be given due weight in the discernment of candidates for priesthood and warning against seminary models that separate future priests from the ordinary life of the people of God. The proposals are not definitive and have been forwarded to Pope Leo XIV for review.The text gathers conclusions from a synod study group tasked with...

Just days after Illinois Democrats introduced legislation to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network and its possible ties to the state, party leaders are now scrambling to pull the bill. The sudden reversal comes after explosive revelations that former President Bill Clinton testified under oath that he once flew Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane. On March 2, Democratic State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid of Bridgeview introduced House Bill 5723, known as the Illinois Epstein Files Investigation Act. The legislation was backed by several lawmakers, including State Sen. Graciela Guzman.

Intense waves of airstrikes have hit dozens of military positions, frontier posts and police stations along northern parts of Iran’s border with Iraq in what appears to be preparation by US and Israel for a new front in their war. A US official with knowledge of the discussions between Washington and Kurdish officials said the US was ready to provide air support if Kurdish peshmerga fighters crossed the border from northern Iraq. A spokesperson for Israel’s military said the air force had been “heavily operating in western Iran to degrade Iranian capabilities there and to open up a way to...

Americans are popping pills at a rate that might surprise even their doctors—and most of what they’re taking, they chose themselves.Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults take at least one pill each week, and one in six takes five or more, according to a recent study published in JAMA, highlighting how central medications—both over-the-counter and prescription—are to everyday health.Researchers surveyed 21,000 volunteers aged 18 and older between 2023 and 2024 to discover the most common drugs Americans are taking.Top 10 Drugs Taken by AmericansThe top 10 drugs identified by researchers provide a snapshot of the most common health concerns among Americans.According...

Russia is ready to divert oil to India to offset Middle East supply disruptions, with about 9.5 million barrels of Russian crude in vessels near Indian waters and able to arrive ‌within weeks, an industry source with direct knowledge told Reuters. The source declined to say where the non‑Russian fleet cargoes were originally headed ‌but said they could deliver to India within weeks, giving refiners rapid relief. India is vulnerable to supply shocks, with crude stocks covering only about 25 days of demand, while refiners ​hold similarly limited inventories of gasoil, gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas. An Indian government source...

A chief operating officer at a mid-size technology company recently described her return-to-office rationale with unusual candor. “We don’t actually know if the work is getting done well,” she said. “We know it’s getting done. We just can’t tell if it’s excellent or mediocre until something blows up. When people were in the building, I could walk a floor and know within ten minutes which teams were thriving and which were drifting. I lost that.” She didn’t mention culture. She didn’t mention collaboration. She described, with precision, an assessment problem—the inability to distinguish between work that’s adequate and work that’s...

Iran threatened harsh retaliation in the wake of the American-Israeli attacks that killed the country’s supreme leader and many of its senior commanders. Its response consisted of a barrage of missiles aimed at Israel. So far, so predictable. Yet, at the same time, Tehran chose to direct its firepower at neighbouring Gulf states, countries that have been encouraging diplomacy and warning against war. Iran’s actions are an object lesson in how to alienate your friends and neighbours. The Iranians targeted Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan. Explosions rocked the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh....

Many commentators are already claiming that the war with Iran is ‘spiralling out of control.’ I try not to be uncharitable: I am a Catholic, after all, and the Church tells me it is a sin. But if I were tempted, I should say that the only thing spiralling out of control is cliché. Iran said it would hit out wildly if it were attacked. It also made clear that direct attacks on the leadership of the Islamic Republic would be treated as an existential threat. So why anyone is now surprised that Iranian missiles are hitting targets, some clearly...

EU Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné on Wednesday presented a strategy shutting Beijing out of EU public funding by introducing a European preference in strategic sectors. Countries which limit access to their own markets through local content rules would also be cut off. The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled its long-awaited industrial plan, rolling out a “European Preference” that shuts China out of European public funding and tightens the screws on Beijing’s future investments in the European Union. The move comes after 200,000 European jobs were wiped out in energy-intensive industries and the automotive sector since 2024, with 600,000 losses projected this...

For those who have tons more knowledge than me of the Navy and militaria - Watching the videos of our Navy ships launching missiles, I note each ship is flying a larger than normal American flag up on their top most mast. Some one told me once that when a ship is at war, the flag is flown as high as possible as a warning signal to other ships in the area "This ship is at war, stand clear!" Is that what I am seeing? Thanks

Trump called Britain "uncooperative" from the Oval Office, then replaced Lloyd's of London as the insurer of the Strait of Hormuz — breaking 300 years of Crown control over global energy in one day. The UK has been officially removed from the status of a close ally of America.

Costa Rica authorities handed over a Syrian national to the United States after his arrest last year on charges of running a human smuggling operation. The man, known by the last name Maklad, led a group that moved migrants from Egypt, Venezuela, and Guatemala through New Mexico between 2022 and 2025, according to Osvaldo Ramírez, who heads Interpol operations at the Judicial Investigation Agency. Officers captured the 39-year-old in May 2025 as he crossed into the country from Nicaragua. Ramírez shared details in a video briefing, confirming the transfer went smoothly. Maklad escaped the U.S. after agents there broke up...

Senate Republicans closed ranks Wednesday, handing President Donald Trump a win on his use of force in Iran, despite lingering questions about America’s involvement in the Middle East. The Senate shot down a resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., aimed at limiting Trump’s military actions in Iran on Wednesday, following days of speculation about whether Republicans would cross the aisle — as they have done before — to reprimand the president. The administration pushed hard to lobby support for Operation Epic Fury, holding several briefings with Congress to make its case. It appeared to work, at least for now, convincing...

President Trump said the Texas Republican Senate candidate that does not get his endorsement should drop out of the race, announcing on Wednesday that he will throw his weight behind the race “soon.” In a lengthy TruthSocial post, Trump argued that the GOP primary race in the Lone Star State “cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer.” “IT MUST STOP NOW! We have an easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent, and we have to TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him away, quickly and decisively! Both John [Cornyn] and Ken [Paxton]...

~ The FReeper Canteen Presents ~ ~ Remembering Our Troops!! ~ Can You See Me Now?” Sgt. Trevor Nicholas Tate, 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, provides roadside security during exercise Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center-Alaska 23-02 in the Yukon Training Area, Alaska. (Army photo/John Pennell) Canteen Mission StatementShowing support and boosting the morale ofour military and our allies' militaryand family members of the above.Honoring those who have served before. This is how you handle terrorists! Students with the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program from Tolleson High School, Arizona,...

WASHINGTON — The United States expects to have "complete" control of Iranian airspace in the coming hours, the White House said on Wednesday, the fifth day of U.S.-Israeli operations against the Islamic republic. "We expect to have complete and total dominance over Iranian airspace in the coming hours," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. ...