Free Republic

A widening investigation into allegations of high-level corruption on the island of Malta, first levelled by murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, stretches to China and a $400 million investment into Europe by a Chinese state power company, Reuters has found. Caruana Galizia was murdered in October 2017 as she investigated a web of companies that she believed were funneling bribes to Maltese politicians. Now, Reuters and a consortium of journalists have traced two firms involved in that web to relatives of a senior Chinese executive for Accenture, the global consultancy firm. The executive, 43-year-old Chen Cheng from Shanghai, negotiated investments...

Israel’s representative in Taiwan, Maya Yaron, recently called communist China’s response to Hamas’ terrorist attack against Israel “disturbing” while praising Taiwan for its unequivocal support of her country.When the government of Taiwan learned about the atrocities committed by Hamas, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately posted a statement: “Taiwan strongly condemns the indiscriminate attacks against the Israelis carried out by Hamas. We stand in solidarity with Israel and denounce all forms of terrorism.” The ministry also posted an image on X, formerly Twitter, showing the top of Taipei’s tallest building lit with blue and white light, representing Israel’s flag. Taiwan,...

Cambodia continued construction work at its Ream naval base in August and September, advancing projects that the US suspects could support a Chinese military presence in a strategically valuable corner of Southeast Asia. Satellite photos taken by Maxar and Planet Labs and published by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative show that two new buildings were built on the north end of the base... ... work took place near the former site of the Tactical Headquarters of the National Committee for Maritime Security, a US-funded building that was officially opened in 2012 and unexpectedly demolished in September 2020...

Shanghai Academy acts as a front for Chinese spy recruitment, according to FBI The Brookings Institution, a prominent Washington, D.C., think tank, partnered with a Shanghai policy center that the FBI has described as a front for China’s intelligence and spy recruitment operations, according to public records and federal court documents. The Brookings Doha Center, the think tank’s hub in Qatar, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences in January 2018, the institution said. The academy is a policy center funded by the Shanghai municipal government that has raised flags within the FBI. The partnership...

Less than a week after CNN scrambled to do damage control after their chief medical correspondent was wrecked by Joe Rogan over Ivermectin lies, the network may have another fire to put out… Indeed, days after anchor Don Lemon attempted to salvage CNN‘s reputation over Sanjay Gupta’s truth outburst with Rogan, host Brian Stelter made the mistake of allowing former NYT Editor Bari Weiss on air to discuss examples of why the world has gone mad. Stelter’s first mistake was having Weiss on his show, “Reliable Sources.” His second mistake was asking her to elaborate on what she means when...

ROME – On Friday the U.S. State Department confirmed a European tour for United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken next week that will include stops in Italy and the Vatican, where he is expected to meet with top Holy See officials. According to the State Department’s June 18 communique, Blinken’s tour will last from June 22-29. He will first visit Berlin and Paris before coming to Italy, making stops in Rome, the Vatican, Bari, and Matera. While in Rome, he will co-chair a meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS alongside Italian Foreign Minister Luigi De Maio, and...

BARI (Italy), March 1 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev who traveled to the southern Italian city of Bari received on Sunday a symbolic key to Italy's Russian Orthodox Church from Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. The handover of the church complex was agreed during the then Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Russia in March 2007. On April 17, the city council of Bari unanimously voted to hand the 100-year-old church to the Italian government so it could subsequently become Russian property. A century ago Grand Princess Elizaveta Fyodorovna first raised the idea of building the church to welcome...

"IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT THE HAMAS OFFICER WAS KILLED... ...it's that he was killed operating a mortar that his subordinates were not firing, because they refused to come out of hiding."

Excerpt - SYDNEY (AFP) — Australian soldiers have captured a key Taliban commander in southern Afghanistan, the military said Sunday. The Defence Department said that elite Australian troops in Uruzgan had last week taken in Mullah Bari Ghul -- a man they believe is a central figure in extremist attacks in the restive province. ~ snip ~

It was described as an "exemplary piece of programme making" by an award winning film-maker which launched a week of television coverage of Islam. But a Channel 4 documentary on the Qur'an has angered a group of leading Shia Muslim scholars, who have criticised it for making "seriously inaccurate statements" about their branch of the faith. In a letter to Channel 4, they said that the depiction of Shia beliefs in The Qur'an, broadcast earlier this month, was "disappointing, misleading, even defamatory". The signatories to the letter were also angered by the apparent links made between Shiaism and violence, with...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. .................................................................. .................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should...

An Al-Qaida Terrorist Related To Bosnian Goverment Arrested In Italy,AP & Reuters, October 1st, 2002.Alleged Tunisian terrorist arrested in southern Italy, reports say BARI, Italy (AP) - Police arrested a Tunisian man Saturday who had been sought by Italian and French authorities for alleged links to Islamic terrorism, news reports said. Bazaaoui Mondher Ben Mohsen, 35, was taken into custody by Italy's DIGOS anti-terrorism police in the southern city of Bari, the AGI news agency reported. He was to be held in Bologna, where he was charged in 1998 with "criminal association" for allegedly supporting Islamic fighters in Bosnia, the...

<p>BERKELEY -- To some, she was an environmental Joan of Arc, patron saint of the Save the Redwoods movement and tree-sitting bane of the Northern California timber industry.</p> <p>To Berkeley writer Kate Coleman, she was a fascinating cross between nuclear whistle-blower Karen Silkwood and the late anarchist Emma Goldman.</p> <p>Environmental activist Judi Bari died of breast cancer six years ago in a Mendocino County cabin. She was 47.</p>