Ukraine says it will hit Russia's precious oil refineries even if the US tells it not to

"The US has urged Ukraine not to strike Russian oil refineries, fearing it could drive up prices and prompt retaliation, reports say. Ukraine responded that it won't stop these attacks, calling the refineries legitimate military targets. Ukraine has ramped up its attacks in recent months, targeting Russia's energy infrastructure." BI

A high-altitude tunnel is latest flashpoint in India-China border tensions

"A tunnel constructed high in the mountains of northeastern India has become the latest flashpoint in a simmering border dispute between New Delhi and Beijing.

The Sela Tunnel, inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month, has been hailed in India as a feat of engineering – blasted through the Himalayas at an elevation of some 13,000 feet (3,900 meters) – and a boon for the military, enabling faster, “all-weather” access to a tense de facto border with China. That’s caught the attention of Beijing, whose long-running dispute with New Delhi over their contested 2,100-mile border has seen the two powers clash in recent years." MS

U.S. seeks to keep troops in Niger after Niger calls their presence illegal

"Days after Niger’s military junta declared the presence of U.S. troops in that West African nation to be “illegal,” American officials are seeking in closed-door talks to determine if they can retain some sort of security presence in the country, which has been the United States’ closest regional ally. Niger signed a new security agreement with Russia, but it is not yet clear what is involved, and Russian soldiers are not currently on the ground in Niger." MS

"Terrified" Joe Biden Demands Ukraine Halt Strikes On Russian Refiners As It Is Sending Oil Prices Surging

"Recall that in recent days, Ukraine has taken its drone attack raids deep inside Russian

territory, hitting Putin where it hurts, namely bombing one Russian oil refinery after another. However, after the onslaught of Ukraine attacks on Russian refineries shut down over 600,000 barrels of Russian daily refining..... this morning the FT reported what our readers already knew, namely that the Biden admin is freaking out that Ukraine's drone strikes "risk driving up global oil prices" which is why Biden has "urged Ukraine to halt attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure."
And it wasn't just once, or twice: the "repeated warnings" from Washington were delivered to senior officials at Ukraine’s state security service, the SBU, and its military intelligence directorate, known as the GUR, sources told the Financial Times, as both intelligence units had steadily expanded their own drone programs to strike Russian targets on land, sea and in the air since the start of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion." ZeroHedge

Poll: 71% of Palestinians Still Approve of Hamas October 7 Terror Attack

"A new poll of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza shows that 71% still approve of the

terror attack by Hamas on October 7 — a result that is almost unchanged since the same poll was taken late last year, though there have been geographic changes. The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research Poll conducted a survey among 1580 adults using face-to-face interviews in both the West Bank (830 respondents) and Gaza (750 respondents), with a 3% margin of error. As we did in our previous poll three months ago, we asked the respondents in this poll what they thought of Hamas’ decision to launch the October the 7th offensive. A vast majority of 71%, compared to 72% in December 2023, say it was correct. However, despite the stability of the total response, the findings do show significant change when looking at the two areas separately......the perception that the decision of the offensive was correct drops in the West Bank by 11 points and increases in the Gaza Strip by 14 points." Breitbart

Niger soldiers killed in ambush in volatile border region

"Niger says 23 of its soldiers have been killed in a "terrorist" ambush near the borders with

Burkina Faso and Mali in a western region prone to jihadist attacks.
Niger is ruled by military leaders who seized power in a July coup, citing a worsening security situation as justification for the power grab. Nigerien soldiers were engaged in a security sweep in Tillaberi, in the three borders area. More than 100 "terrorists" in vehicles and on motorbikes attacked the army unit between Teguey and Bankilare using "home-made bombs and suicide vehicles".
In addition to the 23 soldiers who died, 17 were wounded." MS

At Least 40 Dead In Ongoing 'Terror Attack' On Moscow Concert Venue & Mall

"Russian state media as well as The Wall Street Journal's regional correspondent is reporting at least 40 people killed in the unfolding major terror attack on Moscow's largest concert hall.
Initial video has emerged showing what appears to be attackers in combat fatigues with assault rifles going around the mall part of the venue (which is attached to the concert hall) and

shooing randomly. Several people were injured in the shooting, while the concert hall caught fire. The Russian Health Ministry told that over 50 ambulances has been sent to Krasnogorsk to provide medical care to victims. This number has since been increased to 70. Members of the musical group Piknik, at whose concert the shooting occurred, were not injured. The US Embassy in Moscow and those of other NATO countries have spent the past several weeks warning of a heightened risk of terror attacks in Moscow and other Russian regions, and urging American nationals to avoid traveling to Russia. A mere days ago the US Embassy in Moscow released the following alert telling all US nationals still in the country to avoid large gatherings and public venues. What did they know?" ZeroHedge

German Navy Helicopter Destroys Houthi Drone Boat

"One day after a French Navy helicopter shot down a Houthi drone over the Red Sea, a German Navy helicopter has now successfully engaged one of the militants’ uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) in the same region." MS

Russia captures eastern Ukrainian village

"Russian troops captured a village west of the city of Avdiivka, which fell last month after one of the bloodiest battles in the war. Meanwhile, Hungary and Slovakia said they won't send Ukraine ammunition. Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that it had captured the village of Tonenke in the eastern Donetsk region." DW

Ukraine's biggest dam and power plants hit in huge Russian attack with 'nearly 90 missiles and 60 drones'

"Putin’s military unleashed a huge overnight attack on Ukraine with nearly 90 missiles and 60 drones. The Ukrainian president Zelensky stressed: "The world sees the targets of Russian terrorists as clearly as possible: power plants and energy supply lines, a hydroelectric dam, ordinary residential buildings, even a trolleybus.” Ukraine's state hydropower company said a Russian strike hit Ukraine's largest dam, the DniproHES in Zaporizhzhia. Suspilne cited the country's largest private energy company DTEK as saying that Russia had launched a mass attack on energy facilities and hit some of the company's thermal power plants.
The company warned of power outages in the south-eastern region of Dnipropetrovsk, according to the broadcaster." MS

UK Troops Won’t ‘Fight Side by Side’ With Ukrainians

"London has no plans to send troops to fight Russia alongside Ukrainian soldiers, a UK government spokesman told TASS news agency.

The comment came after French President Emmanuel Macron said he would not rule out an eventual presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil, as the conflict between Kiev and Moscow continues." IW

74 combat engagements occurred in frontline over past day

"The russian occupiers launched a massive attack on Ukraine yet again. The enemy attack combined missiles of various types and Shahed UAVs and began in the evening of March 21 with the use of strike UAVs. On the night of March 22, the russians launched cruise missiles. Information on the aftermath of this attack and the destruction caused is currently being updated.

..... air strikes hit Vorozhba, Hrytsenkove (Sumy region), Synkivka (Kharkiv region), Nadiya, Bilohorivka (Luhansk region), Terny, Novosadove, Hryhorivka, Kalynivka, New York, Novobakhmutivka, Orlivka, Krasnohorivka, Kurakhove, Novomykhailivka, Staromaiorske (Donetsk region), and Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia region).
Around 120x settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under artillery fire.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: the adversary maintains its military presence in the russian areas bordering Ukraine. The enemy troops conduct subversion in order to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to threatened axes. The adversary increases the density of minefields along the state border in Belgorod region (russia). Kupyansk axis: with the air support, the enemy launched 2x unsuccessful assaults on the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the vicinity of Synkivka (Kharkiv region).
Lyman axis: the Ukrainian troops repelled 11x adversary attacks in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk region), Terny, Spirne, Vesele, and Rozdolivka (Donetsk region). With the air support, the invaders attempted to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops in that area.
Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 15x attacks of the adversary in the vicinities of Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka (Donetsk region).
Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 5x enemy attacks in the vicinities of settlements of Berdychi, Semenivka, Tonenke, and Prevomaiske (Donetsk region).
Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodyane, and Urozhaine. With the air support, the invaders made 25x attempts to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops in that area.
Orikhiv axis: with the air support, the enemy launched 8x attacks on the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinities of Staromaiorske (Donetsk region) and Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia region).
Kherson axis: the enemy did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations." Ukrin

Haiti: Vigilantes Set Suspected Gang Members on Fire

"Haitian gang members were killed and set on fire in the Petion-Ville suburb in Port-au-Prince in an apparent case of vigilantism. The bodies were reportedly burned after Haiti’s National

Police — considered one of the last functional branches of the barely-there Haitian state — launched an operation in Petion-Ville on Wednesday to fight the violent gangs that have taken control of most of the country...... a witness saw two suspected gang members killed and set on fire, including a notorious gang leader known as “Makandal.” Reuters states that it reviewed footage that showed the bodies lying and being dragged on the street, “one man with his hands cut off.” “Makandal,” who was one of the thousands of men who escaped from prison in a massive jailbreak orchestrated by gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, was killed in the Wednesday police operation alongside some of his accomplices. Le National stated that local civilians burned “Makandal’s” body in a “sense of jubilation.” The gang leader’s home was also reportedly burned down." Breitbart