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Iran may not be able to officially close the Strait of Hormuz even as its military launches attacks on vessels in the conflict-ridden waterway, but the country appears to be setting up an unofficial toll system for ships to pass. According to multiple members of Iran’s parliament, the Islamic republic has started charging transit fees on some commercial vessels passing through the critical artery, which harbors roughly 20 percent of the world’s supply of oil and liquefied natural gas. More from Sourcing Journal Hormuz Disruptions Lift India-Bound Freight Rates Freight Recovery Gains Steam as Heavy-Duty Truck Orders Surge Three Ships...

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A couple of days back few Muslim youths in Varanasi were arrested and taken into custody because they dared to break their fast and eat their own food on a boat in the holy river Ganga flowing through that sacred city. The other day, a Muslim man was beaten to death; in another incident, a Muslim young boy, invited by his friends to a birthday celebration, was shot dead at point-blank range by the same friend. Remarkably, a sitting Chief Minister used a media conclave to describe plans that appeared to encourage the deliberate creation of conditions forcing Muslims out...

The Kremlin chose a symbolic date — the anniversary of the occupation of Crimea — to revive one of its favorite hybrid warfare tools, this time in a legislative form. The Russian government has submitted amendments to the laws “On Citizenship” and “On Defense” to the State Duma, granting Vladimir Putin the authority to deploy the army to “protect” Russian citizens who are under arrest or criminal prosecution by decisions of foreign courts, including those whose jurisdiction is not based on international treaties with Moscow. In simple terms, any court ruling deemed inconvenient by the Kremlin could now serve as...

Ships carrying Iranian oil are using secret codes to bypass Tehran’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a stunning report. This has allowed dozens of vessels — all tied to countries that still purchase Iran’s crude — to escape the perilous shipping lane, while thousands of others remain stranded in the Persian Gulf. Tehran has effectively closed the strait as a result of the war — cutting off a passage that saw some 130 ships travel through its waters every day. Since then, only 90 ships have been able to transit, according to maritime trackers. Huax, a German-Italian...

Russian air defenses downed 389 incoming Ukrainian drones, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday, in what was the largest reported overnight attack on Russian regions and Crimea since Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine more than four years ago. The drones were stopped over 13 Russian regions as well as the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The attack underlined the growing capability of Ukraine’s domestically developed and manufactured long-range drones. It came a day after Russia fired almost 1,000 drones and 34 missiles at civilian areas of Ukraine in the space of 24 hours, extending its usual nighttime...

Poland placed air defenses on the 'highest state of readiness' as Russian strikes approached NATO airspace, Poland's operational command said Russia launched nearly 400 drones and dozens of missiles across Ukraine overnight Monday, triggering NATO to scramble fighter jets in neighboring countries, according to reports. The massive aerial assault killed at least four and injured >24, with strikes hitting multiple regions including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv Poland and Romania both scrambled fighter jets as Russian strikes approached NATO airspace, East2West reported, with Warsaw placing air defenses on the "highest state of readiness," Poland’s operational command said. "Due to the activity...

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"Give us this day our daily bread" (Matt. 6:11). God is the source of every good gift. God has given us everything good to enjoy, including rain to make things grow, minerals to make the soil fertile, animals for food and clothing, and energy for industry and transportation. Everything we have is from Him, and we are to be thankful for it all. Jesus said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" (Matt. 7:11)....

Daily Readings from the USCCBSolemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:30–33Today’s Solemnity marks one of the most important days of our calendar year. On March...

A social media campaign pushing fake news to exploit the death of a French journalist has emerged in recent days, accusing Israel of killing her in order to censor her reporting on Gaza. According to her family and friends, these claims are baseless. The father of Marine Vlahovic, a French journalist who was found dead on the roof of her Marseille apartment in November 2024, has rejected mounting social media speculation that his daughter was murdered by Israel. Jean-Yves Vlahovic, the father of Marine Vlahovic — a journalist celebrated for her documentary podcasts and work as a correspondent reporting from...

The American actress was nominated for an Oscar for 1974 biopic 'Lenny'Valerie Perrine, best known for her work on the 1970s Superman films as well as the Oscar-nominated biopic Lenny, has died at the age of 82. The American actress had been fighting Parkinson’s disease since 2015, and passed away at her home in Beverly Hills on Monday (March 23). Her friend, Stacey Souther, announced her death via the star’s Facebook page. “It is with deep sadness that I share the heartbreaking news that Valerie has passed away” he wrote. “She faced Parkinson’s disease with incredible courage and compassion, never...

Join with fellow FREEPERS to pray for AMERICA: For those in Authority in Government, Family, Military, Business, Agri-Business; End to Sex Slavery; Healthcare, Education, Churches, and the Media. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14) I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone: for kings and all those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ~ 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Religion Forum Threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to...

But what it is, is entirely unclear. President Trump has announced a breakthrough in negotiations with Iran: President Trump said Iran has agreed to his biggest demand in order to stop the war: no nuclear weapons. “They’ve agreed,” he said. “They will never have a nuclear weapon. They’ve agreed to that.” Tehran has not stated that publicly — and denied even talking to the US. But Trump has made clear that the no-nukes demand is necessary for the US to stop its military campaign. *** “We’re actually talking to the right people and they want to make a deal so...

Democrat Emily Gregory won the special election to represent a Florida state House district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home on Tuesday, according to Associated Press projections, a stunning upset that signals Democratic momentum ahead of the 2026 midterms. Gregory, a first-time candidate and fitness business owner, defeated Jon Maples, a Republican endorsed by Trump and aligned with his policies. Mike Caruso, the Republican who vacated the seat to become Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller, won the district by 19 percentage points in 2024. “Tonight’s result sends a clear message that people want Florida to move in a...

When a beloved Texas elementary school crossing guard’s car broke down, a selfless group of dads rallied to raise nearly $7,000 in less than a week to buy her a new one. Moss Haven Elementary School crossing guard Trecia Crawford had trouble getting to work after her car stopped running in October. She was forced to start commuting to work by Lyft, and later by bus when she “ran out of money.” Despite her woes, Crawford carried on with a smile. “I had to do what I had to do,” she told KTVT. Not everyone knew about Crawford’s transportation troubles....

New York — On a cool, wintry afternoon in early March, a crowd of people streamed towards New York’s Washington Square Park for a Miley Cyrus lookalike contest. Many in the audience were die-hard Hannah Montana fans, including Iranian-American cousins, Sophia, 23, and Ariana Parizadeh, 22. Growing up the children of immigrants in strict households, they remembered childhoods spent secretly watching Hannah Montana’s double-life unfold, her days split between being a regular girl and a pop star, and how it reminded them of their own lives as they navigated home life and school. “Going between home and school, I felt...

After an Iranian missile destroyed residential buildings in Dimona and Arad, wounding over 100 people, Israel’s Bedouin community rushed to local Facebook groups to offer their homes, food, and messages of solidarity. Sager Abu Srehan, a father of six and a vice principal at the Amal Reut School living in the small Bedouin town of Tel Sheva, was one of the first to extend his hand to those impacted by the Iranian attacks. Srehan, who proudly shared that his three daughters and three sons grew up to become doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and chefs in Israel, told The Jerusalem Post on...

A federal judge in Nevada dismissed a lawsuit by a group of nuns that claimed Smith & Wesson violated its fiduciary duty to shareholders by making and selling AR-15s.On May 7, 2024, Breitbart News reported a similar dismissal in Nevada’s Clark County District Court, after plaintiffs including the Adrian Dominican Sisters, Sisters of Bon Secours USA, Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, and Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary, filed suit. They filed a suit claiming that the defendants, who are Smith & Wesson board members and the company’s senior management team, “knowingly allowed the Company to...

Texas challenged the rule, arguing it threatened the availability of affordable housing. A federal court has struck down a Biden-era rule that imposed “green energy” requirements for new housing constructions, threatening the availability of affordable housing. The case, co-led with Utah, was argued by Attorney General Ken Paxton in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Tyler. “The Corrupt Biden Administration’s radical policies were reducing the availability of affordable homes and making it harder for Americans to achieve the dream of homeownership,” stated Paxton. “This ruling is a major victory for homebuyers, builders, and families and...