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Trump Says 'Probably, Maybe' Iran Talks To Resume This Weekend, 'Not Sure' About Ceasefire Extension Summary

• Trump says "probably, maybe" Iran talks resume this weekend, "not sure" about ceasefire extension. Iranian report (unconfirmed) says Bab al-Mandab could be forced close tomorrow.

• Trump unveils 10-day Lebanon ceasefire, but which Hezbollah has not signed on for, amid heavy IDF attacks on south. BBG reports on potential 6-month timeframe for comprehensive Iran deal, oil spikes.

• Iran seeks to boost rial through toll payment scheme; vessels pay Hormuz passage through Iranian banks.

• US Navy: vessels seeking entry into Hormuz Strait now fair game for boarding, search, and outright seizure - including for suspicion of 'contraband'.

• Hegseth: US forces are ready to restart combat if Iran doesn’t agree to a deal & strait blockade to continue for as long as it takes. Already 14 ships have been turned around.

//--> //--> //--> Trump announces end of military operations against Iran by May 31st?
Yes 70% · No 31%
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Trump Still Signals Ambiguity on Peace/Ceasefire Potential

President Trump appeared to confirm ceasefire talks with Iran are still very up in the air, saying that he also doesn't see the need to extend the current two-week ceasefire - "not sure," he said - also amid the going US naval blockade of Iranian-China oil exports, or other sanctioned vessels. With no extension, the ceasefire will expire on April 22.

"If there's no deal fighting resumes," Trump affirmed in fielding reporters' questions. Importantly, talks and timeline are still a big maybe:

President Trump told reporters the next in-person talks negotiating a deal for Iran will "probably, maybe" happen this weekend. He didn't say where, and other U.S. officials haven't confirmed any details.

He took the opportunity in the same remarks to slam the Pope. "If the pope looked at the 42,000 people that were killed over the last two or three months, as a protester, with no weapons, no nothing," he claimed, using the same unsourced numbers he's lately been throwing around.  "I mean, you take a look at that, so I can disagree with the pope. I have a right to disagree. I have a right to disagree with the pope."

Unverified alarming reports of next targeted waterway:

Iran's Axios: Bab al Mandab might close soon... https://t.co/2lLUEUQ0Bz

— berggeit (@_berggeit_) April 16, 2026

The president added, "The pope can say what he wants. And I want him to say what he wants. But I can disagree. I think that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If they do, the whole world would be in jeopardy, the Middle East would blow up and the whole world would be in jeopardy."

"This is the real world, it's a nasty world," he said. "But as far as the pope and saying what he wants, he can do that." 

Also, Iran agrees to hand over its enriched uranium(?)... there's nothing from Iran saying this:

"They've agreed to give us back the nuclear dust," Trump told reporters at the White House, using his name for the enriched uranium stockpile that the United States says could be used to build nuclear weapons. "There's a very good chance we're going to make a deal."

And on the newly declared Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, which does not include Hezbollah, Trump told reporters: "I responded to this call and agreed to a timeout, or rather a temporary ceasefire, of 10 days to try to advance the agreement that we began discussing with the ambassadors' meeting in Washington." He added: "For these peace talks, we have two fundamental demands: one, the disarmament of Hezbollah. Two, a sustainable peace agreement, peace from strength."

⚡️An hour before the ceasefire, Hezbollah rockets impact Nahariya pic.twitter.com/s83rPjOUfp

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) April 16, 2026 Gulf, European officials See Needing 6 Months for Iran deal: BBG, Oil Spikes

A big headline out of Bloomberg has sent oil prices higher:

Some Gulf Arab and European leaders believe that a US-Iran peace deal will take about six months to be agreed and that the warring sides should extend their ceasefire to cover that timeframe, according to officials from the regions familiar with the matter.

The leaders want the vital Strait of Hormuz opened immediately to restore energy flows and are warning in private that a global food crisis may develop if that doesn’t happen by next month, said the officials, who asked not to be identified discussing private talks.

But important caveats remain: who are these "some" Gulf and "European leaders" - the latter who have remained far to the sidelines during this crisis, but who are yes still suffering the effects of the ultra-risky Operation Epic Fury Iran war gambit by Trump. Spike in crude...

Trump: Truce in Lebanon

President Trump has announced an apparent Lebanon breakthrough, announcing on Truth Social that Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. This just after on Thursday Israel launched at least 50 airstrikes in a matter of two hours on South Lebanon, according to national media. Israel says late Thursday its forces have no plans to withdraw ground troops from Southern Lebanon. Operations there look to continue, but presumably the ceasefire means Beirut might not be hit in the interim. 

This week, Rubio oversaw historic peace talks between Lebanese officials and the Israeli government; however, which did not include Hezbollah. Both Tehran and Hezbollah have insisted that the Lebanon conflict should be resolved through the Pakistan mediated US-Iran process. The Lebanese government has little actual sway over Hezbollah, the country's single most well-armed and influential paramilitary organization, which has more missiles and arms than even the national army. This means it remains a big unknown whether this 10-day truce will hold. Trump's Truth Social message, which claims he solved "9 wars across the world" and a "lasting peace":

Defiant Iran Reasserts Toll System: Paid Through Iranian Banks

An Iranian parliament official has been cited in newswires as saying the country's planned Strait of Hormuz toll for ships seeking to pass is to be paid through Iranian banks. Previously it was said to be through cryptocurrency, and could be as a high as $2 million Oil rose higher, given this is another indicator this game of chicken in the narrow waterway could soon lead to fresh hostilities, despite the 2-week ceasefire still being in place, soon to expire.

As for negotiations, there's optimism another round of US-Iran talks will occur, with both sides having agreed in principle, but Iran's government informed Pakistan that the US must back off its maximal demands.

Reuters: U.S. and Iranian negotiators have scaled back ambitions for a comprehensive peace deal and are instead seeking a temporary memorandum to prevent a return ​to conflict, two Iranian sources told Reuters.

Below is a machine translation from the Persian of the fresh parliament statement via state-linked ISNA:

• The plan to consolidate Iran's sovereignty in the Strait of Hormuz is being framed as a way to strengthen the rial.
• Iran is seeking a regulatory role in the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world’s most sensitive chokepoints -positioning it as oversight, not disruption or blackmail.
• Under the plan, foreign ships would settle accounts through offices in Iran or via the Iranian banking system, a move aimed at boosting the rial.
• Estimated current revenue from managing and regulating maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz: $10-15 billion.

Boarding, Search, & Outright Seizure

Ships seeking to enter the Hormuz Strait already sanctioned by the US just got a lot more vulnerable: under Washington’s blockade of Iranian ports, they're now fair game for boarding, search, and outright seizure, per US Naval Forces Central Command.

"In addition to enforcing the blockade, all Iranian vessels, vessels with active OFAC sanctions, and vessels suspected of carrying contraband, are subject to belligerent right to visit and search," the notice said, referring to the Office of Foreign Assets Control. "These vessels, regardless of location, are subject to visit, board, search, and seizure."

The definition of "contraband" is broad and expansive. It spans weapons, ammunition, combat aircraft, and military electronics, WSJ has described. "Petroleum products and lubricants are conditional contraband due to their essential role in military operations and their contribution to Iran’s war-sustaining economy," the advisory also said. "Contraband is defined as goods that are destined for an enemy and that may be susceptible to use in armed conflict."

US Marine Corps image

Up until now, the blockade - initially rolled out Monday - was limited to ships moving in and out of Iranian ports, but the definition who can be targeted just widened. Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday that in the first 48 hours, not a single ship made it past the blockade.

Hormuz Blockade: 'As Long As It Takes'

The US will maintain a naval blockade of Iran for as long as it takes, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has stated in a press briefing Thursday. He and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine say that US forces are ready to resume major combat operations at a moment's notice, which suggests the initial two-week ceasefire could get extended, as was widely reported the day prior. But this also suggests that Washington likely has no appetite for resuming major aerial operations directly against Iran anytime soon.

General Caine:

At each point, the United States Navy will transmit a warning—a young sailor, normally on the bridge of one of those destroyers. A junior officer picks up that mic and transmits, and I quote:

"Do not attempt to breach the blockade.

Vessels will be boarded for… pic.twitter.com/VT6LvPBUnT

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 16, 2026

On the question of resumption of major combat operations, Hegseth warned: "To Iran, choose wisely. I pray you choose a deal which is within your grasp for the betterment of your people and the betterment of the world." He followed with, "In the meantime, the War Department is locked and loaded." Additional main highlights to the Hegseth/Caine update and presser:

• Iran likes to say it controls Strait of Hormuz but it has no navy
• Energy industry not destroyed 'yet', US blockade shutting down exports
• For as long as it takes, we will maintain blockade
• Launching operation 'economic fury'
• Iran is digging out bombed out launchers
• I hope you choose a deal which is within your grasp

But again, the chief takeaway is that the Pentagon and Trump administration are making clear that US forces are ready to restart combat if Iran doesn't agree to a deal. On that front, US officials say future talks are likely to be held again in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. Prior reports have indicated both sides have "agreed in principle" to engage in another round of talks.

Iran's PressTV touting ability to inflict global economic pain...

International Monetary Fund’s chief economist says that growth is expected to slow this year amid repercussions from the war against Iran and disruptions to global oil and gas trade.

Follow Press TV on Telegram: https://t.co/LWoNSpkc2J pic.twitter.com/ZAty9htTov

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) April 15, 2026 Pentagon: 13 Ships Turned Around

Since the blockade went live, US forces have already turned around 13 ships, according to Gen. Caine in the same briefing. He underscored how far this reach extends, saying operations will take place "inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters."

Officially, the Pentagon claims the blockade is limited - targeting Iran’s ports and coastal areas while sparing vessels simply passing through the Strait of Hormuz. In practice, however, the net is touted as much wider, as US forces "will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran," including so-called "dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil," Caine added.

He confirmed that more than 10,000 service members are now involved in the blockade, but with more US servicemembers en route to the region.

Lebanon Still Bombed Heavily by Israel amid US Ceasefire Efforts

Israeli jets pounded Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon Thursday, unleashing one of the heaviest barrages there since the war began and sending black smoke billowing over the region. Strikes hit near the industrial zone and a supermarket on Nabih Berri Avenue, with nearby suburbs also taking damage, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

Iran has signaled urgency on de-escalation, with parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf calling ceasefire in Lebanon "as important as a ceasefire in Iran." He described, "In the Islamabad negotiations and afterwards, we have been seriously pursuing efforts to compel the adversaries to establish a permanent ceasefire in all areas of conflict." Pakistan's army chief is in Tehran mediating between Washington and Tehran.

⚡#BREAKING Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a conversation with US Secretary of State Marco: "I am not willing to talk to Netanyahu"

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) April 16, 2026

Lebanon's leadership is in th emeantime framing any truce as a gateway to talks, despite Hezbollah having rejected direct talks with Israel. The ceasefire it is "demanding with Israel" would be a "natural entry point for direct negotiations," President Aoun said, adding: "Lebanon is keen to halt the escalation… so that the targeting of the innocents ceases, and the destruction of homes" stops.

Destruction of Al-Qasimia Bridge in Southern Lebanon

جسر القاسمية pic.twitter.com/u39LVosxnF

— Lebanon 24 (@Lebanon24) April 16, 2026

He stressed negotiations "are to be undertaken by the Lebanese authorities alone," and said "the withdrawal of Israeli forces… is an essential step," alongside redeploying the army "up to the international borders" to "end any manifestation of armed presence."

And yet Israeli strikes are now hitting infrastructure. A key bridge over the Litani River near Qasmiyeh - linking Tyre and Sidon - was reportedly destroyed, though Israel said it only "struck adjacent to it." The broader campaign is cutting off southern Lebanon, targeting chiefly Hezbollah positions, Israeli officials have claimed.

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/17/2026 - 05:00

The airline will soon open bookings for four-hour stints in the Skynest sleep pods and says they will be the first lie-flat beds for budget air travelers.

A UPS jet was caught up in a near-miss with another plane at the same Kentucky airport where 14 people were killed in a fiery cargo plane crash — and an air traffic controller was heard yelling ‘What are you doing?’ The Boeing 767, en route from Atlanta, was forced to abort its landing at...

The US Department of Transportation said in a federal court filing Thursday that it has completed its review of the Second Avenue subway line project, and will begin reimbursing state transit officials again for construction costs.

Gulf War Leaves $58 Billion Repair Bill And Global Equipment Crunch

Last week, JPMorgan - which correctly noted that headlines tend to focus on the fact of damage not the scale - was the first itemize the damage from the war in Iran, finding more than 60 energy infrastructure assets in the Gulf have been affected by drone and missile strikes, with roughly 50 sustaining different degrees of damage. 

What about the actual dollar value of the inflicted damage?

According to Rystad, repair and restoration costs for energy-linked infrastructure as a result of war in the Middle East could hit $58 billion, with the total for oil and gas facilities potentially up to $50 billion. 

Three weeks after the energy consultancy published an initial estimate of $25 billion in repair costs across Gulf energy infrastructure, the scope of damage has expanded materially. The continuation of military strikes drove up the number of impacted assets across the region before largely subsiding following an 8 April ceasefire between the US and Iran. This pushed the estimate for the average in potential total repair and restoration spending to $46 billion – representing the midway point in the range of $34 billion to $58 billion – across oil and gas infrastructure, inclusive of an average of $5 billion across industrial, power and desalination assets. The ceasefire, combined with stalled negotiations and renewed escalation risk, continues to shape the operating environment, alongside risks of disruption and potential blockades affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. 

Divergent recovery timelines 

This broader damage footprint is changing how the recovery will unfold. Capital availability is not the primary constraint; instead, access to equipment, contractors and logistics is emerging as the key limiting factor. Recovery timelines are beginning to diverge across assets and countries, reflecting differences in domestic execution capacity and supply chain access. At the same time, repair activity is likely to displace new project execution, as operators prioritize restoring existing production over advancing greenfield developments. 

Early recovery trends already reflect this divergence. Some facilities where damage was contained and contractor capacity was already present have resumed operations within weeks, particularly where work is limited to surface equipment and modular repairs. By contrast, facilities requiring reconstruction of core process units or that are dependent on long-lead equipment remain in early assessment stages, with timelines extending into years. 

Rystad Energy has assessed the damage across impacted energy-linked facilities and estimates total repair and restoration costs in the range of $34 billion to $58 billion. 

The lower end of the range assumes that, for facilities where the extent of damage is not yet fully clear, impacts are limited in scope, allowing for modular repairs supported by existing spare equipment and shorter procurement cycles. The upper end reflects scenarios where structural damage is confirmed across major facilities, requiring full replacement of critical systems, reliance on long-lead equipment and the inclusion of conflict-related premiums on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) execution, including contractor mobilization and war-risk insurance, alongside delays linked to contractor deployment, constrained logistics and in some cases restricted access to international supply chains.

Iran and Qatar bear brunt 

At a country level, this cost distribution begins to diverge more clearly, both in scale and across asset types. Iran accounts for the highest number of impacted facilities and the widest spread across asset types, with repair costs potentially reaching up to $19 billion under a high-damage scenario. Major disruptions are concentrated in the South Pars onshore gas processing facilities at Asaluyeh, along with the adjacent Pars Special Economic Energy Zone and Mahshahr petrochemical complex, removing significant gas processing and downstream petrochemical capacity. Additional impacts across key refineries, fuel storage depots in the Tehran region and export infrastructure at Lavan and Siri Island have further constrained domestic fuel distribution and reduced export flexibility, increasing reliance on fewer operational outlets. 

The impact in Iran therefore extends across the value chain, with simultaneous disruption to processing, refining, storage, and exports. Restoration timelines are structurally longer than elsewhere in the Gulf, not only due to the scale and dispersion of damage, but also because access to Western EPC contractors, original equipment manufacturers and process technologies remains restricted, narrowing execution options and extending procurement cycles. 

Qatar presents a different profile, where the impact is more concentrated but significantly deeper in terms of technical complexity. Damage is centered on Ras Laffan Industrial City, where multiple liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains have been affected alongside disruption at the Pearl gas-to-liquids facility. This is now intersecting with QatarEnergy’s ongoing North Field expansion program, including the latest award to a consortium led by Technip Energies, with contractors already active across multiple phases. 

With these projects already under execution or in early construction, there is a clear overlap between expansion work and repair activity within the same industrial cluster. Both draw on similar pools of engineering teams, fabrication yards and site crews, even if not always the same contractors. If some of this capacity is redirected towards repair activity, it could lead to delays of a few months in ongoing expansion projects, especially where timelines are already tight. The impact is more likely to show up as slower progress on execution rather than any formal change in project schedules. 

E&C takes largest share of costs 

Rystad Energy estimates facility repair and restoration costs for impacted oil and gas facilities could cost about $46 billion. At the facility level, engineering and construction accounts for the largest share of total expected outlay, followed by equipment and materials. This is consistent with the dominance of downstream and integrated assets in the damage profile, where repair activity involves rebuilding structural components, reinstating process units and re-integrating complex systems.

The sequencing of spending is equally important. Engineering and assessment activity progresses relatively quickly, but the overall timeline is largely governed by procurement and fabrication of critical equipment. While construction and installation can proceed in parallel once materials are available, delays in equipment delivery continue to define the critical path across most major assets. As a result, recovery timelines are less dependent on on-site execution and more on how quickly operators can secure access to constrained supply chains. 

What is emerging is less a reconstruction program and more a competition for access – access to equipment, contractors and logistics capacity. Those that move early will secure capacity and shorten timelines, while others may face delays that extend well beyond the physical scope of damage. The pace of recovery will therefore be defined less by the scale of impact and more by access to constrained supply chains. 

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/17/2026 - 04:15

The sheriff’s office said it concluded its investigation and found no evidence of a crime.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said that on the day of the blaze, Amatitla entered and exited the Avery Avenue building multiple times, urinated in front of the apartments, and then went to a nearby gas station.

Germany's Anti-Immigration AfD Party Jumps To 27%, 4 Points Ahead Of CDU

Via Remix News,

In a new poll from YouGov, the Alternative for Germany (AfD0 party jumped to 27 percent, now four points ahead of the rival Christian Democrats (CDU), in a sign that the AfD continues to distance itself as the most popular party in Germany.

AfD co-leader Alice Weidel was quick to publish the poll results on X, writing:

“4 percentage points ahead of the Union, 4 out of 5 citizens dissatisfied with Merz: We no longer have time for undemocratic firewalls. The political turnaround must happen now.”

4 Prozentpunkte Abstand zur Union, 4 von 5 Bürgern unzufrieden mit Merz: Wir haben keine Zeit mehr für undemokratische Brandmauern. Die politische Wende muß jetzt erfolgen. pic.twitter.com/rWe3sm04RU

— Alice Weidel (@Alice_Weidel) April 15, 2026

The governing parties that make up the federal government are seeing their fortunes quickly fall.

The CDU/CSU fell by three percentage points to 23 percent, which was the lowest figure measured by YouGov since December 2021.

The SPD figure is at 13 percent, which fell one point from 14 percent.

Meanwhile, the Greens and the Left each gained one point, jumping to 14 percent and 10 percent respectively.

According to the poll, more and more Germans are dissatisfied, totaling 79 percent, with the work of the federal government led by Friedrich Merz. In comparison, in June 2025, this value was only at 55 percent.

Most threatening for Merz, CDU voters are increasingly turning on his government, with only 34 percent saying they are satisfied, falling from 48 percent in March.

Other polls have shown AfD at the top, but with a narrower margin, averaging between 25 and 26 percent of the vote.

Despite the AfD leading, the CDU has vowed to never form a coalition with the party.

If the AfD’s values hold into the next national election, it may become increasingly difficult to form a coalition without the party’s support.

Read more here...

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/17/2026 - 03:30

The 10-day cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon appeared to hold Friday – hours after President Trump branded the truce a historic day for Lebanon. 

The Iowa murder suspect charged in the cold case killing of a realtor during an open house 15 years ago was released from jail after her attorneys painted her as an upstanding citizen with no criminal record.

Dear Abby advises a person whose friend is being pressured to move back in with her verbally abusive ex-husband.

O’Hare has the most number of flights of any US airport, and it already had one of the worst records for flight delays nationwide last year.

Drone Attack On Russia's Tuapse Oil Refinery Unleashes Fire So Large It Can Be Seen From Space

Russia and Ukraine have continued trading blows on key oil and energy sites, with the latest being a drone attack targeting Russia's Tuapse Oil refinery, which unleashed a fire so large it can be picked up by satellites in space.

The refinery is owned by Rosneft and has suffered major attack before, in a March 2025 Ukrainian operation. Local authorities have declared a state of emergency, after schools and residential buildings suffered damage, and all classes have been canceled.

According to the Amsterdam-based Moscow Times, "NASA satellite imagery on Thursday showed a plume of smoke extending around 200 kilometers (125 miles) into the Black Sea from Tuapse, which is located 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of the resort city of Sochi."

Krasnodar region Governor Venyamin Kondratyev confirmed that a woman and a teenage girl were killed in the attack on the northeastern Black Sea port town, with several more injured.

Russia's Defense Ministry announced the military had downed 207 drones overnight across multiple regions - listing off Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk and the Krasnodar region, and the Black and Azov seas.

This is a somewhat 'normal' night in the now more than 4-year long brutal war. These daily and nightly cross-border attacks have largely slipped from mainstream headline coverage, however, given their frequency - to the point of being 'routine' (a grim reality).

Often even when refineries or major infrastructure is hit in either country, the event barely gets coverage in Western media at this point.

The ongoing Russian aerial assault of Ukraine continues to be more deadly. Ukrainian officials say that overnight attacks there killed 14 people in the capital area as well as Odesa and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Newer footage recorded by Russian civilians shows the size of the fires at the Rosneft Tuapse oil refinery. pic.twitter.com/dmhyvbVQZ4

— Combat Footage (@Comba8Footage) April 16, 2026

At least 700 drones and missiles were launched by Moscow forces overnight, which is a significant and high figure, even after all these years of aerial bombardment.

Currently the globe's attention is largely focused on the Iran war and the Hormuz Strait blockade, and with that efforts to reach a political and peace settlement in Ukraine have faded as well.

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/17/2026 - 02:45

Ostroushko, his wife DeYanna and daughter Paige were seen on camera in an altercation with TPUSA reporter Savanah Hernandez outside the Whipple building in Minnesota on April 11.

Carrera, born Jessica Steinhauser in New York City, shared the news this week after sitting for the notoriously tough test in Waco in February.

Carrera, born Jessica Steinhauser in New York City, shared the news this week after sitting for the notoriously tough test in Waco in February.

Afghan Man Arrested For Series Of Rapes Of Goats And Sheep In France

Via Remix News,

A 19-year-old Afghan national has been arrested and charged following a series of brutal sexual attacks on goats and sheep in Pennes-Mirabeau, a municipality in Bouches-du-Rhône, near Marseille.

The suspect was taken into custody by the anti-crime brigade (BAC) on the night of April 9-10, 2026, after local sheep and goat owners alerted police.

Since early 2026, several owners had discovered their animals injured, with incidents reported in both February and March.

The animals had their legs tied and showed clear signs of rape, according to French newspaper La Provence.

After multiple similar episodes, the owners installed motion-sensor cameras on their properties in an attempt to identify the perpetrator.

The footage revealed the silhouette of a young man visiting their livestock at night, and the images were handed over to police, who were eventually able to identify a matching suspect.

The man appeared before a judge on Saturday, April 11, who ordered his placement in pre-trial detention. He was set to appear in court on Monday, April 13.

He faces up to three years in prison and a €45,000 fine for acts of cruelty toward domesticated animals.

The case has drawn the attention of the Animal Protection Association (SPA), which announced it would pursue civil action in the matter.

“[We] are going to take this barbarian to court,” the SPA declared.

“Thank you to the national police for their essential intervention.”

Previous cases

Last year in Germany, a shocking case has emerged from the beautiful town of Oberneufnach in Bavaria, which involved a 52-year-old Turkish asylum seeker allegedly breaking into a stable and sexually abusing ponies.

The man, who is from a refugee shelter in the nearby town of Anhofen, was arrested after he was caught on surveillance video.

The man broke into the horse farm at 6:45 p.m. while the family was having dinner. They heard the dog barking and then looked on surveillance monitors, where they saw the man in the stable with his pants down on top of one of the animals.

The boyfriend then ran to the stables to chase down the man, but he had already fled the scene. He continued his pursuit of the suspect though and eventually caught him. Police arrived and placed the man under arrest.

In 2023, a 27-year-old suspect was arrested after he was caught on a surveillance camera raping a pony at a stable south of Hamburg. The 18-year-old pony, which is named “Carrie,” was abused by the man at 1 a.m., with footage showing the man calmly walking onto the property and starting to attack the defenseless animal.

Steffi B. released the footage to German newspaper Bild, which posted stills of the perpetrator on its web publication.

The attack happened in Birkenmoor, which is in Harburg, just a few kilometers from the Hamburg city center.

Even the petting zoo at the park has not been safe. In 2017, a Syrian migrant raped a pony there in front of children.

“My babysitter was out with our son in Görlitzer Park. They witnessed the man sexually assault the pony,” one woman told Berliner Morgenpost at the time.

The babysitter took a photo of the man as he raped the pony and provided it to police. The migrant was banned from the petting zoo in response, but it is unclear if he was ever charged by police.

Read more here...

Tyler Durden Fri, 04/17/2026 - 02:00

Photos captured police collecting evidence in a cordoned-off portion of the sidewalk and picking up one large knife.

Eighteen people were arrested, multiple firearms were recovered, and vehicles were impounded amid the investigation, police said.

For those who thought Aaron Boone might have nothing to get ejected about with the arrival of the automated ball-strike system, think again.