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We're all sick of influencers invading and spoiling everything — including live sports — with their narcissistic preening.

President Trump's iconic hairdo has seemingly entered its dark age.

Putin called his Saturday meeting with Kushner and Witkoff "highly useful."

Interpreting The Taliban's Invitation For American Investments

Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,

This was arguably a preemptive de-escalation move that would also gauge the US' intentions...

The New York Times (NYT) interviewed Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul as part of their coverage of the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power. Muttaqi invited the US to reopen its embassy and invest in his country's minerals, dams, and roads. He also declared that "We consider the chapter of war to have come to an end, and from now on, we want relations based on mutual respect and a new chapter of positive engagement." This new policy requires some interpretation.

After all, Trump has repeatedly called for the return of US forces to Bagram Airbase and the US has pivoted to the Taliban's new Pakistani enemy over the past year and a half of his second term, both of which the NYT mentioned as possible obstacles. The Taliban also refuses to return the US arms and equipment that were left in Afghanistan while denying that it's holding a dual Afghan-American citizen prisoner. The State Department thus predictably told the NYT that bilateral ties won't be normalized.

Two of the experts that the NYT interviewed referenced Trump 2.0's business-driven foreign policy, ergo why some might be surprised that the State Department rejected normalizing bilateral ties as a quid pro quo for presumably privileged access to Afghanistan's rare earth minerals wealth. This goes to show that geostrategy, not geo-economics, is presently determining Trump 2.0's policy towards Afghanistan. Interestingly enough, however, it's the opposite with the Taliban. Here are three background briefings:

* 2 July: "Reviewing Russia's Latest UNSC Briefing On Afghanistan"

* 19 July: "Lavrov Warned That Western Arms & Ammo Are Being Sent From Ukraine To ISIS-K In Afghanistan"

* 16 August: "Five Reflections On The Fifth Anniversary Of The Taliban's Return To Power"

In a nutshell, Pakistan is passively facilitating the flow of arms to ISIS-K as part of its undeclared war with Afghanistan, which the US discreetly approves of as a means of pressuring the Taliban into complying with its demands. If the Taliban were weakened or deposed, they might not ever regain their former strength due to their historical Pakistani patron having cut them off and their new Russian military-technical partner being unable to replace the multifaceted support that Islamabad previously provided.

The end result could be the re-subjugation of Afghanistan, but this time as a US-Pakistani client state that would serve as a launchpad for expanding their military and economic influence into Central Asia, which aligns with Trump 2.0's Neo-Reagan Doctrine of rolling back Russian influence. Turkiye is already poised to do the same from the west via August 2025's "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity", which also functions as a NATO military logistics corridor, so the combined effect could be profound.

Given the grand strategic consequences if the US and Pakistan successfully re-subjugate Afghanistan, there's a certain logic to why Trump 2.0 rejected the rare earth minerals opportunity that the Taliban offered it. The group arguably did this as a preemptive de-escalation move that would also gauge the US' intentions, which are now crystal clear. Looking forward, joint US-Pakistani pressure on Afghanistan is therefore expected to increase, which could lead to an increase in Russian-Taliban military-technical ties.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 08:10

A popular Egyptian TV presenter has been sentenced to death by hanging -- along with 11 others -- after she was convicted as a member of a massive drug trafficking ring.

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The UN has long bowed to tyrants.

A source told The Post, "“The police need somebody to corroborate evidence. Biggie needs his Keffe D moment.”

The biggest day of American tennis star Tommy Paul’s summer was when he got married to his longtime girlfriend, Paige Lorenze. The second biggest day of Paul’s summer might be when he faces Carlos Alcaraz in the U.S. Open Round of 16 on Sunday. As good as Paul has been playing lately, no match of...

The purported attack comes a day after the US struck three Iranian oil tankers.

Iran: Several Ballistic Missiles Fired At US Aircraft Carrier, Navy Destroyer

Summary:

• Iran says it has attacked 3 'US-linked' along with 3 American ships in the Hormuz Strait
• State media released footage of foreign vessels under attack in "response" to US aggression
• CENTCOM Confirms Iranian Tankers Hit Near Kharg Island
• Iranian Tanker Reportedly Hit By Missiles Near Kharg Island

*  *  *

Iran Unleashes Large Drone Swarm Attacks on Several Ships

Iran state media is releasing footage of its own Saturday action against US assets in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, as part of the fresh weekend tit-for-tat fighting with the United States. Per state PressTV and IRIB, it seems Tehran is saying it has targeted six vessels:

• The IRGC targets three US-related vessels and three oil tankers in the Hormuz Strait, warning all vessels against choosing unauthorized routes to transit Hormuz.
• In response to US attacks on three Iranian tankers, Iran has targeted three vessels in the unauthorized route of the Strait of Hormuz, along with three American ships.

Al Jazeera Breaking:

BREAKING: Iran says several ballistic missiles fired at US aircraft carrier, Navy destroyer

The IRGC Navy is claiming a "response" to US aggression: "This morning, the terrorist and aggressor US military, in a brutal act born of desperation from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, attacked three oil tankers belonging to the Islamic Republic, causing damage," the force said in a statement on Saturday. In response, it continues: "the fighters of the IRGC Navy targeted three oil tankers traveling along an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as three vessels affiliated with the child-killing United States, in other areas."

IRAN SHOWS NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN STRIKES on ‘VIOLATING’ vessels in Hormuz — Tasnim

IRAN SHOWS NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN STRIKES on ‘VIOLATING’ vessels in Hormuz — Tasnim

VESSEL after VESSEL gets HAMMERED https://t.co/TLh1CwAfTa pic.twitter.com/P6xgBnwMCe

— RT (@RT_com) September 5, 2026

In response to US attacks on three Iranian tankers, Iran has targeted three vessels in the unauthorized route of the Strait of Hormuz, along with three American ships. pic.twitter.com/HAzpefIWJV

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) September 5, 2026

The overnight into early Sunday hours are going to be interesting, awaiting more possible Pentagon action, even as the Department of War says this is not a "war".

CENTCOM Confirms Strikes 

US Central Command confirmed on X that US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships. 

CENTCOM provided details:

Following Iran's failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo (also known as the "Noxen") in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship.

The three Iranian crude oil tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. Iran has no means by which to defend them.

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper stated:

Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost —taking out three of yours. 

We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet. 

https://t.co/Xo0Vj0t2AJ

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 5, 2026

The key question heading into Sunday evening is how Brent crude futures will price the US strikes on Iranian tankers near Kharg Island. 

Iranian Tanker Reportedly Hit By Missiles Near Kharg Island

Iranian state media reported early Saturday that US forces had struck an oil tanker near Kharg Island. Although the US military has not confirmed the maritime incident, the attack, if verified, would mark a significant escalation near Iran's most important crude-export terminal and increase the risk of further disruptions to Persian Gulf energy flows.

Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said several missiles hit the tanker early Saturday and published images purportedly showing black smoke rising from the ship.

Video of the Iranian oil tanker which was reportedly hit this morning by the US near the Iranian Kharg Island. pic.twitter.com/217O0lLn09

— Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) September 5, 2026

Kharg Island is the jugular vein of Iran's oil economy. The deepwater terminal handles about 90% of the country's crude exports, connecting Iran's major onshore fields to global markets, specifically China. 

Henri Patricot, CFA, a Paris-based energy equity research analyst at UBS, published Kpler data showing that crude loadings at major Iranian export terminals, including Kharg, have been significantly reduced over the course of the six-month conflict.

Weekly average crude loadings in the Middle East by port location also show a slight recovery on an ex-Iran basis across the major Gulf producers.

Average flows through Kharg have ranged from 1.5 million to 2 million barrels per day, although the data above show that those volumes collapsed to roughly 220,000 to 255,000 barrels per day in August under the US naval blockade. The island also contains massive storage facilities, pipelines, and loading berths. Any attack by US forces, whether kinetic through air-delivered munitions, or offensive cyber operations, could cripple Tehran's largest moneymaker.

President Trump warned Friday that the US could soon attack Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected Iranian nuclear facility.

As for Hormuz flows, Goldman commodities strategist Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby and her team said this week that they had to revise tanker-flow estimates sharply higher (full note available here for pro subs), suggesting that Tehran's ability to control the strategic maritime chokepoint has been significantly degraded.

Grigsby and her team told clients on Wednesday that Gulf oil exports had recovered to between 15 million and 16 million barrels per day, roughly two-thirds of prewar levels.

However, Grigsby pointed out that visible tanker data show flows of only about 10 million barrels per day on a seven-day moving average. That 5 million-barrel-per-day gap reflects what Goldman's energy team called the "rise of dark transits." In other words, tankers are switching off their Automatic Identification System transponders to avoid detection by Iran.

Net hit to Persian Gulf flows of 7.9mb/d now 

Polymarket odds that Tehran will lose control of Kharg Island stand at 2% by Sept. 30 and just 7% by year-end.

What the Trump administration decides to do with Kharg remains the energy market's billion-dollar question.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 07:50

IAEA 'Unclear' On Iran's Nuclear Program As US, Europe Escalate At UN Security Council

Western allies are pressing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ‌board to bring a formal complaint and resolution before the UN Security Council and the General Assembly. Reuters reports Saturday that the US, UK, France, and Germany are behind the new pressure campaign, which hinges on a request that the nuclear watchdog's director general transmit the new resolution.

The draft resolution, as seen by Reuters, calls on Iran to "urgently remedy ‌its non-compliance ⁠with its Safeguards Agreement by taking all steps deemed necessary by the Agency and the Board, so that the Director General can provide the necessary assurances regarding the correctness and completeness of Iran's declarations."

via Associated Press

"The draft has not yet been formally submitted to the board and negotiations over the exact wording are ongoing," Reuters wrote based on diplomatic sources. 

Prior such draft resolutions have all been approved by the IAEA board. A year ago, prior to Trump launching Operation Epic Fury, an adopted IAEA resolution charged that was Iran in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which Tehran is a formal signatory to.

But Iran is being 'non-compliant' at a moment it is getting routinely bombed by US forces. Iran has also frequently pointed out the obvious double standard - that Israel itself is armed with nukes and is not a signatory to the NPT.

This fact has long been an 'open secret' in Washington and among world leaders. But if the US government were to officially recognize Israel as a nuclear-armed power, it could trigger legal repercussions which would impact foreign aid to Israel.

Days ago IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated in a formal report that the status of Iran's nuclear program remains unclear: 

The status of a key part of Iran's nuclear program remains unknown while international inspectors have yet to gain access to nuclear facilities, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported on Tuesday, as the country’s six-month conflict with the United States shows no signs of resolution.

IAEA monitors cannot verify the location or status of Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb grade uranium, according to the 11-page restricted report that was sent to member states and cited by Bloomberg and Reuters.

"The agency’s lack of information about this nuclear material and access to facilities to verify it is a matter of proliferation concern," Grossi wrote in the report.

Tehran's position has remained that the IAEA is too cooperative with Israeli intelligence, and that it's neutrality has been compromised...

Next week @iaeaorg which is a spy org for Israel will vote to declare Iran breach of NPT. They bombed all the sites and still want to send spies to inspect them. 😂 pic.twitter.com/bIGgOlUYAN

— Ali (@MerruX) September 4, 2026

He called on Iran to allow inspectors back in "with the utmost urgency" - and yet, this a place that's still under threat of more US bombing campaigns. There is basically an active war still on, even with occasional pauses.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 07:35

Jess was running on fumes.

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Is This Peak 'Clown World'?

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News,

Transport for London has dropped a dog house-shaped "calm space" onto the concourse at Ealing Broadway station and called it progress.

The tiny pod features a bench, noise-dampening acoustics and a "soothing" forest mural. They claim that it is part of an effort to "boost accessibility for neurodivergent travellers under TfL's Equity in Motion strategy," whatever that means.

Massive backlash has ensued, with many questioning this as a priority over train delays, complete lack of air conditioning on many lines, poor cleanliness, broken escalators and an epidemic of fare dodgers costing £190 million a year.

We're trialling a calm space at Ealing Broadway station for four weeks ?

From today, you'll find a quieter space for customers who may benefit from a calmer environment during their journey.

What we learn from the trial will help us understand how we can make our network... pic.twitter.com/mRFiD2vtvM

— TfL (@TfL) September 4, 2026

The kennel is part of TFL's 'Equity in Motion' scheme, a 'customer inclusion plan' launched in February 2024 which it claims will make travel "fairer, safer, more inclusive and more accessible."

Mark Evers, who leads customer insight, strategy and experience at TfL, told Ealing.News: "Everyone should be able to travel confidently and independently across London, and we know that busy environments can sometimes pose a barrier and be overwhelming, particularly for our neurodivergent customers."

"These trials will help us understand how we can better support customers who might need to take some time out when using our services," he added.

Jesus wept.

The photograph did more work than the press release. Open sides. Pitched roof. Wood-effect walls. A painted woodland. A single bench. It reads as a child's playhouse parked in a ticket hall.

Literally crying ? it's a fucking dog kennel ? https://t.co/lnMfJYhkfv

— Emma Manzini (@EmmaManzini) September 5, 2026

Absolutely, totally and utterly insane. Once upon a time I'd have thought that post from TfL was a joke. Now I believe it's real. Sadly.

— Alastair Hilton (@London_W4) September 5, 2026

Darren Johnson, a former London Assembly member, went at the physics of the claim:

I am not sure that putting an open-sided kiosk in a station used by 42,000 passengers a day and calling it a 'calm space' actually makes it a calm space. https://t.co/pDBoR212mV

— Darren Johnson (@DarrenJohnson66) September 5, 2026

Surely the forest mural will counter the tannoy blasts, barrier alarms and the endless chirruping of TikTok reels blasting from phones, right?

Everyone who played any part in creating this has a 'non-job'. https://t.co/rkSJBiRidS

— Leo Gibbons (@Layo_FH) September 4, 2026

Serious question... if you can actually get on a tube to go somewhere, how the fuck is waiting in a weird shed going to help you?

This is design by fuckwit. It really is. https://t.co/3kv6IejafA

— Arthur Foxache ?? (@OldMackIsBack) September 4, 2026

Just make the fucking trains arrive clean and on time. https://t.co/1g7JYRs9xp

— Jack (@FFS_WhatNow) September 4, 2026

When I was a Councillor my Ward included Ealing Broadway Station. It is a manic station with lots of issues. This 'calm space' is an absolute joke, and a complete waste of money. It won't be long until it is vandalised https://t.co/iRDJzcIxGy

— Alexander Stafford (@Alex_Stafford) September 4, 2026

There are plenty of more pressing issues:

This is all nice and well but Highbury and Islington Station has been missing a ceiling and wall tiles for the last 8 years. Priorities.

— Joseph (@josephkazUK) September 4, 2026

Do they really think this thing is going to be used as they envisage?

I give it two days until diversity takes a shit inside and then moves in. https://t.co/F4ec7PoaKP

— WireSpy (@WireSpy92) September 4, 2026

20 minutes until needles, dimps, empties and piss puddles?

— Cooking Lager is drinking a wrexham lager (@CarpeZytha) September 4, 2026

American Citizen, under Milo's joke post, was blunter: "Chances are a migrant will be inside this taking a shit."

Chances are a migrant will be inside this taking a shit.

— American Citizen (@paisnano) September 5, 2026

Day 1-4: 13 year old gangsta wannabes take over and blurt drill music from a Bluetooth speaker and nuisance stream from it.
Day 5: Homeless guy takes a shit in it
Day 6: Someone is sexually assaulted inside it by an Eritrean
Day 7: Dismantled and removed by TFL https://t.co/nhjMIvPAX8

— Sir Webblyingworth Brian Squirrelingtonshire ? (@WebSquirrel) September 5, 2026

To be fair, the house is more cosy looking than those featured in plenty of accommodation ads in London.

Detached house to let in W5, 3500pw plus bills https://t.co/ekolfpb3Qj

— David P GCSE (multiple) (@DavidPGCSE) September 5, 2026

When passengers noted that the pod would be almost immediately wrecked or occupied, TfL actually replied, suggesting "We understand the concern. The pod is located close to station staff and within CCTV coverage, and it's included in routine station security and safety checks."

They added, "Any inappropriate behaviour will be managed in line with standard station procedures, and any damage will be addressed as needed. The trial will also help us understand how the space is used in practice."

We understand the concern. The pod is located close to station staff and within CCTV coverage, and it's included in routine station security and safety checks. Any inappropriate behaviour will be managed in line with standard station procedures, and any damage will be addressed...

— TfL (@TfL) September 5, 2026

That sentence is doing a lot of work. "Standard station procedures" is the same toolkit that already coexists with barrier-jumping, vaping in carriages, speakerphone culture and graffiti that TfL has had to throw extra cleaning gangs at.

The Times reported earlier this year that a graffiti surge left parts of the Underground looking, in one MP's phrase, "like 1970s New York," with Bakerloo and Central hit hardest because those lines have so little spare stock that tagged trains stay in service. Bakerloo's 1972 stock is the oldest passenger rolling stock in the country.

CCTV does not stop crime when there is no consequence. People refuse fares, vape on trains and disturb other passengers with impunity.

This is not a quiet branch line. Ealing Broadway is a Zone 3 interchange for the Central line, District line, Elizabeth line and National Rail. At peak times it is a crush of school runs, office traffic and Heathrow-bound crowds.

It is also a known fare-evasion hotspot. BBC reporting from the concourse described officers watching people hurdle barriers, crawl under them and "double gate" behind paying passengers.

TfL has put the network-wide loss at about £190 million a year - 3.5 per cent of fare income - and wants 1.5 per cent by 2030. A later disclosure to Tube Alerter, reported by MyLondon, said the real figure could be as high as £211 million because TfL applies a 10 per cent haircut to avoid "overstating" the loss.

The same station had a passenger trapped and dragged by a train in November 2024. RAIB published its report in March 2026. Temporary barriers went up on platform 4 because of the gap between train and platform. Lifts routinely fail. Step-free access comes and goes. That is the arena into which TfL has now inserted a woodland cubby and a QR code for feelings.

Ffs.
How about you ban people have their phones on speaker or listening to music?
Molly coddling adults in this way is embarrassing.
A functioning society never needed this kennel before.

— Karrie (@KarrieboKarrie) September 5, 2026

What???????
Can someone please tell me what is going on with this generation???
All this 'safe space' nonsense and 'you're safe with me' badges??
Can anyone imagine this generation in the world wars????
What are they all scared of? https://t.co/AyhNvwsw4I

— Women Won't Wheesht ??? (@TheParty1sOver) September 5, 2026

TFL, which cannot keep toilet facilities usable, has discovered the language of trauma for a four-week photo opportunity.

There is no air con on most of the deep Tube. Central, Bakerloo, Jubilee, Victoria, Waterloo & City, Piccadilly and Northern still cook passengers in summer. Only about 192 of 620 Tube trains are air-conditioned. The trains many west Londoners ride every day were built when Ted Heath was in Downing Street.

Sadiq Khan's City Hall has spent years announcing equity frameworks while the basic deal of public transport - you pay, the train comes, the carriage is usable - has got sloppier. Fare evasion doubled on the Tube against pre-pandemic levels. Prosecutions are still well below the old peak. Penalty fares often go unpaid. Staff take the abuse. Paying passengers fund the gap. Then the same organisation asks those passengers to admire a sensory pod.

This is peak clown world.

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Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 07:00

The final competition takes place today at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Volcanic ash spread across parts of Jakarta and Lampung province on Sumatra’s southern tip.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of "highly useful" talks on Saturday with two US envoys seeking a deal to end the Ukraine war, a Kremlin aide said, but he gave no indication of any breakthrough.

The country singer has been working hard on building muscle and being more consistent.