Free Republic

Vatican officials have mounted an extraordinary challenge to the ancient Order of Malta. But what is the row really about?The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is one of the more improbable success stories of the 21st-century Church. Founded in 1099 to provide hospital care and military defence in the Holy Land, it has retained much of its medieval tradition and ceremony. But it has also, by gradual reform, become a powerhouse of international aid. More than 100,000 members, medical staff and volunteers are offering practically every form of charitable assistance around the world, from handing out sandwiches to the homeless...

DALLAS (AP) - A Dallas musician who played with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians was shot to death early this morning after trying to kick in the door of his girlfriend's neighbor. 34-year-old Jeffrey Carter Albrecht died at the scene. Police say the neighbor fired a shot through the door around 4 a.m. The neighbor believed a burglar was trying to break in. The case is under investigation and no arrests have been made. Albrecht, who went by his middle name, had been a keyboard player for the New Bohemians since 1999. He also played keyboard and guitar and sang...

On the surface there would seem to be little to unite the Aryan racialists of the neo-Nazi movement with the terrorists of radical Islam. To the neo-Nazis, Muslims are almost all members of ``inferior`` races; and to the Islamic terrorists, the neo-Nazis are almost without exception either atheists or members of fringe quasi-Christian sects. But the reality is that there has been close cooperation between Muslim extremists and Fascists ever since the founding of the Nazi movement in the 1920`s. For all of their differences, Muslim extremists and Nazis have always been united by a common group of beliefs and...

Fashion designers from New York to Milan have filled the runways in recent weeks with all the latest Spring looks. Hemlines are up, heel heights are down and pink is all the rage. But regardless of what you think of this season's haute couture you should be made aware of a trend that's catching on... it could make you think twice before buying new clothes. Tiny specks capable of tracking virtually every single item are now being imbedded by manufacturers. This Orwellian technology, called RFID (radio frequency ID) will now be used by Italian clothing designer Benetton in the form...