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Hertfordshire: A sealed cave rediscovered by accident - carved with Christian symbols, pagan marks, and apotropaic signs. This hidden chamber has been linked to Knights Templar theories, Holy Grail legends, Reformation-era secret worship, and the life of a medieval wayside hermit. Inside the chamber are carvings of knights, crucifixion scenes, protective marks, and a figure many identify as the medieval king Richard I - all cut directly into the chalk. Some theories point to Templar connections and the Holy Grail, others to hidden worship during the Reformation or a solitary hermit carving his devotion into the walls. What's certain is...

Iran appears to be losing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz while traffic through the critical waterway has exploded by nearly 400% over the last two weeks — as ships increasingly use a US-backed corridor to cross. Nearly 200 ships navigated the strait last week, up from 150 the previous week and just 40 two weeks earlier, according to data from the UK Maritime Trade Operations Center. The surge brings total traffic along the passage route to about 20% of pre-war levels, through which roughly 20% of the world’s seaborne oil flowed in peacetime. Activity in Hormuz ground to...

A New Jersey real estate investor pleaded guilty earlier this week to participating in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud scheme and fraudulently obtaining more than $1.8 million in COVID-19 relief loans, according to U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer. Officials said 39-year-old Arthur Spitzer, of Toms River, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of bank and wire fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering in connection with the fraud schemes. According to prosecutors, who cited court documents and statements made in court, in June 2020, Spitzer conspired with Mendel Deutsch and Joshua Feldberger, who are both awaiting sentencing, to make it appear...

(Singapore) The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is investigating claims that a wheelchair assistant at Changi Airport had $5 docked from his pay for being 11 seconds late for work. In response to queries from The Straits Times, MOM said on Aug 21: "We are aware of this case and have contacted Aventa Services, the employer of the affected employee, to establish the nature and extent of the deductions." The ministry said that it will take appropriate enforcement actions if the deduction is found to be unauthorised or excessive. The incident first came to light in an Aug 12 LinkedIn post...

IndyCar drivers revved their engines and tore up Pennsylvania Avenue Saturday as they prepared to meet in competition in the heart of the nation’s capital. Cars were roaring through the 1.7-mile track carved out of streets in downtown Washington, DC, as a tune up for Sunday’s race — on a track that runs by the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall and within sight of the Capitol building. President Trump, who signed an order calling for an Indy car race in DC, is set to drive the course in his armored limo “the Beast” on race day. He will also...

A thousand years ago, almost nobody would have bet on Europe. China was richer, more advanced and more powerful. So how did a poor, divided backwater end up dominating the world? This is the strange story of Europe's unlikely rise, and the accidental advantage that may have changed history forever... Something Went Very Wrong With Human History | 17:26 Michael Button | Patterns of History | 21.5K subscribers | 53,344 views | August 16, 2026

Eleven people were busted for alleged possession and distribution of kiddie porn aboard two different cruise ships in Boston on Friday — the third takedown of pedophiles on an ocean liner this year. The 11 foreign laborers — nine from the Philippines, one from Indonesia, and one from Nicaragua — were employed aboard Holland America’s Volendam and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway and detained during the operation, which lasted from Aug. 14 to Aug. 16, federal officials announced Thursday. “Protecting children from exploitation is among our highest priorities, and this operation demonstrates the critical role CBP officers play in identifying and...

The Phoenicians had almost no land, no vast armies and no great empire. Yet they shaped the ancient world in ways that still affect us today. So what did they understand that everyone else missed? The Phoenicians Knew Something They Shouldn't Have | 18:07 Michael Button | Patterns of History / Michael Button | 36,207 views | August 20, 2026

Venezuela's new petroleum minister sees her South American home not as a dilapidated former oil giant, but as an emerging energy economy ripe for U.S. and foreign investments in new oil and gas exploration, both onshore and offshore. Paula Henao, who took over as the hydrocarbons minister in March after the forced U.S. removal of former leader Nicolás Maduro, told an overflowing Houston energy audience on Wednesday that Venezuela is much more than just its famed heavy-grade crude oil. There are more than 916 exploration opportunities awaiting foreign investment, she said, including natural gas and other untapped oil basins. She...

An iconic southern landmark went up in flames on Friday morning. If you've ever vacationed in Panama City Beach, Florida (as most of the Southeast has), you're almost certainly aware of the "shark store," a shop called Jaws Souvenirs on the way to the Florida coast. Welp. It's a goner. VIDEO AT LINK.......... This thing went up like a firework. Here's WSFA: Officials say the Bay County Sheriff's Office was also on scene to assist with traffic. Officials say the eastbound and westbound lanes are currently closed and ask drivers to avoid the area from Upas St. to Walnut St....

VIDEOS AT LINK............... This is how a narrative is built. As Twitchy reported, the wife of a U.S. Navy sailor who allegedly tried to jump overboard somehow came into contact with Natalie Oliverio, a reporter with The Military Times (which is not officially affiliated with the U.S. military). Oliverio published a piece that made it sound like sailors were jumping from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, port and starboard. The ship's deployment was supposed to end in May, and The Military Times made it sound like the extra three months had many sailors attempting suicide. CNN's Erin Burnett picked...

A charter plane has crashed at a remote site in western Alaska, killing all eight people onboard, according to reports. The aircraft went down on Thursday, Aug. 20, at Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, which is around 450 miles west of Anchorage, according to the Associated Press (AP). Two pilots and six passengers were onboard the plane, Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)’s Alaskan chief, told the outlet. Johnson said the plane had taken off from Anchorage and was believed to have crashed while traveling to Cape Newenham. “This is a devastating loss for our military...

Former first lady Jill Biden doubled down on the possibility of her husband, former President Joe Biden, being drugged ahead of the 2024 debate and was asked during a podcast Thursday whether doctors ruled out a stroke that night. Podcast host Jamie Kern Lima asked Biden if a stroke was ruled out by doctors the night of the debate. “Well, they did. They said, I mean, I didn’t say to them, when I was writing my book, I was reflecting, but I didn’t say, ‘God, did Joe have a stroke?’ I just said, ‘Is he OK? Is he OK?'” Biden...

WASHINGTON — They’re a shady bunch. A California family that swindled $18 million in COVID-19 relief cash to splurge on various trappings — including a Harley-Davidson, diamonds and luxury homes — inspired a Senate crackdown on so-called “fraudster families.” Two of the family members, Richard Ayvazyan and his wife, Marietta Terabelian, cut off their ankle bracelets and ditched their three children via a goodbye note to flee the US after being convicted on fraud charges, before being caught in Montenegro. Years later, the saga inspired Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who has led the Senate DOGE Caucus, to push for legislation...

0:25 VIDEO AT LINK . Woman refueling her SUV. Can you spot what's wrong?..................

A US Air Force flight en route to Antarctica was forced to return to New Zealand after receiving a warning of "potentially hazardous" space activity. The alert was confirmed by New Zealand authorities on Wednesday. New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued the warning after being informed by Russia’s State Air Traffic Management Corporation, which led to the decision to turn the flight back. The warning was disseminated through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). The flight, originally departing from Christchurch, New Zealand, is a part of the annual Winter Fly-in (WINFLY) operation, which connects Christchurch with Antarctic research facilities. Impact...

Democrats on Thursday narrowed the list of potential host cities for their 2028 presidential convention to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia as their party looks ahead to a wide-open primary to succeed President Donald Trump. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement the cities put forward “incredibly strong bids,” and he promised the convention would be an “inspiring celebration of our party’s future nominee.” A final decision is expected to be made later this year by party leaders. Republicans have already chosen Houston for the site of their 2028 convention. The Democratic convention, scheduled for Aug. 7-10, 2028,...

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. — Crews in Rhode Island had quite a mess to clean up after a tractor-trailer carrying 20 tons of squid was involved in a crash, spilling its load. The crash happened in Narragansett, Rhode Island, WFXT reported. Narragansett Police said the tractor-trailer had been “negotiating” a turn when the trailer dislodged from the cab and flipped on its side, ABC News reported. The squid covered parts of the road as crews had to clean up the slippery, and possibly worse, smelly mess on Aug. 16. “At the time of the incident, the fully loaded trailer was transporting squid...

Dashcam footage captured a harrowing multi-vehicle collision Tuesday morning in the southbound lanes of the 170 Freeway that launched one vehicle over the center divider. The incident, according to officials with the California Highway Patrol, occurred around 5:30 a.m. just south of the Oxnard Street exit. Details remain limited, and it is unclear exactly how the crash unfolded. However, dashcam footage appears to show a dark-colored pickup truck with its right turn signal activated suddenly swerving left into the carpool lane and striking a smaller sedan. The impact sent the sedan rolling over the freeway’s center divider, where it landed...

Another ugly example of America’s collapsing standards of public behavior reportedly unfolded aboard a cruise ship in Florida, where authorities say an allegedly intoxicated couple responded to a simple request for quiet by forcing their way into a family’s cabin and attacking everyone inside, including a 9-year-old child. Gannon Jacox, 29, and his girlfriend Brooklyn Hicks, 28, were arrested Saturday evening at Port Canaveral after the ship docked. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey laid out the outrageous details in a Facebook post that left little to the imagination. According to Ivey, Jacox and Hicks “were apparently arguing loudly after taking...