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A glamorous Iranian businesswoman with a US green card was arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport for allegedly trafficking arms on behalf of Tehran.

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Campaign records show that his tab also overlapped with him curiously taking multiple trips to Las Vegas in the summer of 2021. 

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The "Girls" alum loves living in London but does have one pet peeve.

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The "Birds of a Feather" singer crawled up the stage and sat on a chair as the "Baby" crooner sang his 2009 hit "One Less Lonely Girl" to her.

The "Birds of a Feather" singer crawled up the stage and sat on a chair as the "Baby" crooner sang his 2009 hit "One Less Lonely Girl" to her.

U.K.’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis claims British Jews are facing “a sustained campaign of violence and intimidation” after an attempted arson attack occurred at Kenton United Synagogue.

Child care got expensive — more than $13,000 per child, per year.  So many people want government to pay for it. My state just agreed. New York will fund free child care. Yay! But wait … what government does isn’t free. Taxpayers pay. And taxpayers pay more because “government rules have unintended consequences,” says Carrie...

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Luke Kennard erupts for 27 points and a perfect 5-for-5 from three, making Lakers playoff history in a Game 1 win over the Rockets while stepping into a larger role without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Fury As Nigerian Migrant Caught Cooking Cat In Public Park Next To Children's Playground

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

A Nigerian immigrant was arrested in Sarzana, Italy after local residents spotted him roasting a freshly killed cat on a makeshift barbecue in a Park—right beside a children’s playground.

The man, described as shoeless, had set up a grate over an open fire in the Crociata public space dedicated to a local partisan commander. Passersby called the carabinieri (Italian police), who arrived to find him in the act. He was charged with animal cruelty offences.

The shocking scene, captured in photos that quickly spread online, has triggered nationwide anger in Italy. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini branded it “a heinous act that must not go unpunished.”

🇮🇹 Sarzana. Policja zatrzymała Nigeryjczyka, który zabił i upiekł na grillu kota parku publicznym na oczach przechodniów. Dostał zarzuty znęcania się nad zwierzętami. „Okrutny czyn, który nie powinien mieć miejsca w cywilizowanym społeczeństwie”, komentuje radny ds bezpieczeństwa pic.twitter.com/mLdg08SrsI

— Adam Gwiazda (@delestoile) April 17, 2026

Sarzana’s Administrative Officer and Security Councillor Stefano Torri reacted with fury, urging “What happened this afternoon in Crociata Park is an atrocious act that cannot and should not have a place in a civilised society,” he stated.

Torri went further: “As an Administration, we are ready to reiterate strongly: we will not allow anyone to come into our territory to import sick and barbaric customs and customs. Those living in our country have a duty to respect our laws and our sensitivity towards animals. We won’t tolerate our land being turned into a theatre of the uncivilised by those who have no respect for the rules of civil life.”

He promised improved safety measures and to “return it to the citizens,” adding that the administration is working on a tender to bring “positive aggregation, order, light and legality” back to the park.

It remains unclear whether the cat was a family pet or a stray.

Apparently this is quite common place among the new Italian populace:

Meanwhile in Italy. Man, who is not named, tried to cook a cat using a makeshift fire on a pavement near to the Campiglia Marittima station in the province of Livorno, Tuscany. pic.twitter.com/Uk3Jg8GQ8L

— Enigma (@BrumsBlueArmy) October 28, 2023

Nor is it isolated across the West. Just last month we reported on migrants filmed catching and butchering swans and ducks in parks and canals across the UK and Ireland.

Protected birds were trapped in crude wire cages, snatched from waterways, and prepared for consumption in scenes that left locals stunned.

These cases drew direct parallels to Springfield, Ohio, where Haitian migrants faced accusations of grabbing ducks by the neck, decapitating them in parks, and taking them home to eat.

A city commission meeting heard residents testify to the practice, and a clip later surfaced showing the city manager admitting he had “heard about” the reports of Haitian migrants eating pets—despite frantic media efforts to dismiss the claims as baseless.

The pattern is unmistakable. Open-border policies continue to import individuals en mass with entirely incompatible habits that clash with basic Western norms

Public parks are meant for families and children, not open-air barbecues of neighbourhood cats. When authorities have to step in to “return” spaces to the people who actually built and maintain them, it’s a damning indictment of how far unchecked immigration has already gone.

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Tyler Durden Sun, 04/19/2026 - 09:20

US Prepares To Board Iran-Linked Ships Globally Following Iranian Gunboat Attack On Tanker In Hormuz Summary: 

• US officials: War may resume if no peace talks breakthrough: Axios
• Two Iranian gunboats Open Fire on a tanker near Oman; 2nd tanker hit by 'unknown projectile'.
• India summons Iranian ambassador to condemn incident
• Pentagon prepared to expand anti-vessel action, signals prepared to board Iran-linked ships globally
• Friday: Hormuz Open; Saturday: Hormuz Closed 
• Trump: Iran wanted to close up Strait again, can't blackmail us

//--> //--> Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by end of April?
Yes 28% · No 72%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

*  *  *

WAR will Resume?

Not good, amid reports Pakistan peace talks could also resume, Monday perhaps:

US OFFICIAL TELLS AXIOS WAR MAY RESUME IF NO BREAKTHROUGH

🚨🇺🇸🇮🇷President Trump convened a White House Situation Room meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the renewed crisis around the Strait of Hormuz and negotiations with Iran, according to two U.S. officials. My story on @axioshttps://t.co/jElAytN5LF

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) April 18, 2026 Reaction by India

New Delhi has summoned the Iranian ambassador to condemn the IRGC Navy's attack on one of its tankers earlier in the day:

US Prepares to Board Iran-Linked Ships Globally

According to the latest headlines there was a second tanker incident: a Container ship reportedly hit by 'unknown projectile' in second incident while other traffic stalls.

Meanwhile on Saturday the Pentagon is signaling yet another major escalation in the latest effort to reassert US leverage over the Hormuz crisis. It is preparing to expand the fight not just to the Hormuz/Persian Gulf regions, but broadly to the high seas.

"The U.S. military is preparing in coming days to board Iran-linked oil tankers and seize commercial ships in international waters, according to U.S. officials, expanding its naval crackdown beyond the Middle East," WSJ reports. This means the American military will pursue vessels around the world that are helping Iran, as it steps up 'Economic Fury' as an extension of 'Epic Furty'. WSJ comments further:

The planning comes as the Iranian military continues to tighten its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, attacking several commercial vessels on Saturday as it declared the waterway was being “strictly controlled” by Iran. The developments sent shipping companies scrambling a day after Iran’s foreign minister said the strait was fully open to commercial traffic—an announcement that was welcomed by President Trump.

Audio of the Indian oil tanker Sanmar Herald pleading with Iranian forces to stop shooting at it in the Strait of Hormuz this morning. pic.twitter.com/7Y5n7Jb7o0

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 18, 2026

The past days have seen both sides try and declare and assert control over the vital waterway and their own blockade based on rival 'conditions' for ship passage. But all of this has meant a continued effective closure. US Central Command (CENTCOM) has cited that the US Navy has already turned back at least 23 ships after they were at Iranian ports. In the meantime Trump is still claiming Iran agreed to hand over its enriched uranium - or nuclear 'dust' - but Tehran has made clear it will never do so, dismissing this as a made-up fantasy.

Meanwhile...

Iranian Forces Open Fire On Tanker 

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reports that a tanker was "approached by 2 IRGC gunboats, with no VHF challenge, and then fired upon."

UKMTO did not provide any further details about the two Iranian vessels that fired on the tanker or the type of weapons used in the maritime incident, which was reported to have occurred 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman.

Assume that President Trump is about to become absolutely furious on Truth Social. One can also assume that backchanneling and behind-the-scenes talks are not going well if an incident like this occurred ahead of the U.S.-Iran weekend negotiations.

Hormuz Closed (Again) 

The Trump administration’s "baffle 'em with bullshit" methodology has been on full display, as the reopening of the Hormuz chokepoint on Friday drove a broad risk-on in markets: US equities soared, crude collapsed, and Treasury yields declined, based on the assumption that disruption to global energy flows had eased. However, as of early Saturday morning, those moves may prove premature.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the world’s most important maritime chokepoint is once again closed to commercial transit.

About 20 ships waiting to enter the Persian Gulf through the maritime chokepoint have turned back toward Oman after Iran’s military declared the waterway closed again, amid a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.

And rejected: the two tankers taking the neutral route, Minerva Evropi and Nissos Keros, have turned around; the Sanmar Herald which appears to be taking the Iran-sanctioned Larak island route is proceeding. https://t.co/aceBI7ki0B pic.twitter.com/gmkM37iA1U

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 18, 2026

The OSINT community on X is reporting a Hormuz closure as well... 

A bit of chaos in Hormuz this morning as nearly all of the outbound tankers have abruptly turned around.

Follows an announcement by Iranian military leadership that the Strait has "reverted to its previous state of strict military control." pic.twitter.com/XSc6lvxwJo

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 18, 2026

MERCHANT VESSELS RECEIVE RADIO MESSAGE FROM IRANIAN NAVY SAYING STRAIT OF HORMUZ SHUT AGAIN, NO SHIPS ARE ALLOWED TO PASS THROUGH, SHIPPING SOURCES SAY

— *Walter Bloomberg (@DeItaone) April 18, 2026

The vessels had reportedly been prepared to pay $2 million in tolls to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to pass through, but radio warnings indicated the strait was closed.

WSJ notes:

They are now turning back because the Revolutionary Guards are sending radio messages that the strait is closed, according to one Hong Kong owner with a container ship waiting to transit the strait.

Overnight, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, wrote on X that President Trump's "false" claims won't help in US-Iran negotiations...

1. The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false.
2. They did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either.
3. With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open.
4. Passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be conducted based on the "designated route" and with "Iranian authorization."
5. Whether the Strait is open or closed and the regulations governing it will be determined by the field, not by social media.
6. Media warfare and engineering public opinion are an important part of war, and the Iranian nation is not affected by these tricks. Read the real and accurate news of the negotiations in the recent interview of the Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Earlier, President Trump said peace talks with Iran are making progress and will continue over the weekend.  

“We had some pretty good news 20 minutes ago, but it seems to be going very well in the Middle East with Iran,” Trump told reporters traveling to Washington on Air Force One, according to MS Now. “We’ll know over a little period of time. We’re negotiating over the weekend.”

Trump said one main issue is recovering material from Iran’s nuclear program, which he said the U.S. would remove after any agreement is signed.

“Maybe I won’t extend it, but the blockade is going to remain. But maybe I won’t extend it, so you have a blockade, and unfortunately, we’ll have to start dropping bombs again,” Trump said.

Polymarket odds of the Hormuz chokepoint returning to normal status by the end of April have been on a rollercoaster ride over the last 24 hours, peaking at 64% on Friday morning after Iran announced the waterway was open, but dropping to 32% following Iran's announcement that the maritime chokepoint was closed early Saturday.

//--> //--> Strait of Hormuz traffic returns to normal by end of April?
Yes 33% · No 68%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

Here are the latest headlines from the Middle East:

Strait of Hormuz Status

• Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday for commercial shipping during a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon (BN) (BN)
• Iran swiftly reversed course on Saturday morning, reimposing restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz after the US said it would not end its blockade of Iran-linked shipping (AP) (SMP) (WSJ)
• Iranian forces announced control over the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous status under strict Iranian administration and supervision (NS8) (AFP)
• Some 20 ships lining up to cross the Strait of Hormuz were turning back toward Oman after Iran's military said the waterway was closed again (WSJ)

Shipping Activity

• A convoy of eight tankers was crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, comprising one very large crude oil carrier, several oil product and chemical tankers and LPG carriers (NS8)
• Four tankers loaded with Qatari LNG within the Persian Gulf moved toward Hormuz in the last 12 hours, with no loaded LNG shipment having exited the Gulf since late February (BN)
• More crude oil and gas carriers began testing the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday despite mixed messages from Iranian authorities (BN)

US-Iran Negotiations

• Iran has not yet agreed to a next round of negotiations with the US due to Trump’s announcement of a naval blockade and excessive US demands (BV)
• Trump said a deal with Iran to end the seven-week war may be imminent, claiming most main points are finalized (BN) (BN)
• Trump claimed Iran has agreed to suspend its nuclear program indefinitely, though Iran’s Foreign Ministry said enriched uranium won’t be transferred anywhere under any circumstances (BN) (BN)

Market Activity

• Strait To New Record Highs: Hormuz Hopes Spark Risk-On Wrecking Ball Across Markets
• Inverse Fear Is Taking Over The Market

Friday's US-Iran Wrap

• Iran Bats Down 'Baseless' Trump Claim On Handing Over Enriched Uranium To US, As He Declares Hormuz 'Never Again' Closed

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Tyler Durden Sun, 04/19/2026 - 09:14

Boston is a 12.5-point favorite in Game 1 over the Sixers, the second-highest spread of the day.

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