"Colombian far-left President Gustavo Petro ordered on Wednesday the expulsion of Argentine diplomatic personnel from the country in response to statements by Argentine counterpart Javier Milei, who called Petro a “terrorist murderer” in a yet-to-be-aired interview.
Milei, a staunch anti-communist, was interviewed by journalist Andrés Oppenheimer for his weekly television show. While the interview is scheduled to be broadcast by CNN en Español on the evening of Sunday, March 31, the television channel has published several preview clips of the interview on its website and on social media.
In one such clip, Milei describes Petro, a former member of the Marxist M19 guerrilla terrorist organization, as a “terrorist murderer,” which drew the immediate ire of the Colombian far-left president." Breitbart
"The Russian navy’s Pacific Fleet has confirmed that it sent several of its warships through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and into the Red Sea, at a moment Houthi attacks against international shipping is ongoing, and as the waters are still being patrolled by the US-led military coalition. Russian defense ministry sources identified that the Russian cruiser Varyag and the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov are engaged in the patrol mission, but it remains unclear whether additional support vessels are participating as well." ZH
"Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine has reported 60 combat engagements with Russian invasion forces. Over the past day, the following settlements were hit by Russian airstrikes: Veterynarne, Kharkiv, Synkivka, Kruhliakivka, Borova, Novoiehorivka, Ivanivka, and Kyslivka of Kharkiv region; Yampolivka, Novyi, Druzhba, Ivanivske, Berdychi, Novobakhmutivka, Ocheretyne, Semenivka, Tsukuryne, Novomykhailivka, Oleksandropil, Katerynivka, Yelizavetivka, Velyka Novosilka, and Staromaiorske of Donetsk region.
More than 100 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under Russian artillery fire.
Volyn and Polissia directions: the operational situation saw no significant changes.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna directions: the enemy maintains its military presence near the border, conducting sabotage activities in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to other directions.
Kupiansk direction: The enemy ran no offensive (assault) operations.
Lyman direction: Ukraine repelled five attacks in the area of Bilohorivka in Luhansk region and Terny in Donetsk region, where the Russians tried to break through Ukraine’s defenses.
Bakhmut direction: four attacks were repelled near Ivanivske and Andriivka of Donetsk region.
Avdiivka direction: Ukraine’s defenders repelled 14 assaults in the areas of Berdychi, Semenivka, and Nevelske of Donetsk region, where the Russians attempted to break through with air support.
Novopavlivka direction: Ukraine’s Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the areas of Novomykhailivka and Heorhiivka, where 27 assaults were thwarted.
Orikhiv direction: with air support, the enemy attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders four times in the areas of Staromaiorske of Donetsk region and Robotyne of Zaporizhzhia region.
Kherson direction: the Russians do not abandon their intention to dislodge Ukrainian units from their bridgeheads on the eastern bank of the Dnipro, where the Ukrainians repelled the attack." Ukrin
"Colombia’s far-left President Gustavo Petro threatened to cut ties with Israel on Tuesday if itdoes not comply with a non-binding resolution that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed this week demanding an immediate halt in the campaign against the jihadist terrorist organization Hamas.
The incident marks the second time the Colombian president has threatened to cut ties with Israel due to its self-defense operations against Hamas following the genocidal terrorists’ invasion of the country on October 7, in which Hamas jihadists killed an estimated 1,200 people." Breitbart
"The Biden administration announced this week that it plans to resume humanitarian aid drops into Gaza amid reports that large-scale famine is looming. However, critics have said that the airdropped crates from large military transport planes are dangerous given thecramped and desperate conditions on the ground below.
So far the Pentagon has delivered at least 17 airdrops of nearly 500,000 meals, but the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry has said that just on Monday alone 18 people died trying to desperately access the aid, much of which landed in the sea. Airdropping supplies just off the coast is an apparent safety precaution, after earlier this month Palestinian civilians died after apparently being impacted by falling crates amid parachute failure.
But 12 of the deceased drowned on Monday while trying to access the aid which landed in the Mediterranean. "The aid airdrops pose a real threat to the lives of hungry Palestinians," Gaza’s government media office warned. Others reportedly perished during stampedes as the aid arrived on land." ZH
"The Spanish Defense Staff (EMAD) has reported that during 21-26 March, patrol vessels of the Spanish Navy spotted two Russian landing craft and a tanker in Spanish sovereign waters. The Spanish patrol vessels Atalaya and Vigía have been tracking the Russian amphibious assault ships Ivan Gren and Alexander Otrakovsky, as well as the oil tanker Kola." MS
"Chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization‘s Military Committee, Lt. Adm. RobBauer of the Royal Netherlands Navy, has called for Ukraine to bolster its troop numbers through conscription to offset its massive losses on the battlefield.
Bauer made this statement during the opening session of the Kyiv Security Forum, a conference organized annually by former Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Bauer stressed the need for not only replenishing Ukraine’s stockpile of weaponry but also augmenting the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine due to the massive casualties incurred in combat with Russia. . He advocated for a collective effort akin to the approach taken by the world’s nations to combat the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, asserting that societal sacrifices are imperative.
Notably, Bauer emphasized that such sacrifices primarily entail the involvement of others, distancing himself and fellow proponents of war from personal risk." NW
"Czechia expanded the list of sanctions against Russia. Former Ukrainian MP Viktor Medvedchuk has been added to the list of restrictions, announces Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
According to him, the government expanded the national sanctions list to include two individuals and one legal entity.
This concerns former Ukrainian MP Viktor Medvedchuk, the company Voice of Europe, and propagandist Artem Marchevsky.
Fiala said the sanctions are aimed at hitting the pro-Russian network that tried to conduct an influence operation in Czechia." RBC
"The United States and South Korea have set up a new working group aimed at preventing North Korea from illegally purchasing oil as the UN Security Council deadlock casts doubt on the future of international sanctions, Reuters reports. The two sides expressed concern over Russia's oil supplies to North Korea and discussed ways to end the illegal cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, the statement said." RBC
"Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shia terror group, fired rockets into northern Israel hitting a factory that employed people with special needs, and killing a 23-year-old Druze Arab named Zaher Bashara in the facility. Israel’s Iron Dome typically intercepts rockets, but Hezbollah has been firing shorter-range projectiles such as anti-tank missiles, which do not fly high enough for radar to detect, making it more difficult to prevent them from landing." Breitbart
"Using operational-tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops, and artillery units of the Russian Armed Forces, strikes were delivered on assembly and storage sites of unmanned aerial vehicles. In turn, air defense systems destroyed 210 Ukrainian drones and shot down 21 HIMARS and Vampire MLRS projectiles in the special military operation zone." Sputnik
"In the past 24 hours, the enemy launched five missile attacks, 74 air strikes, and 152 MLRS attacks on the positions of Ukrainian forces and populated areas.
Over the past day, the following populated areas came under Russian air strikes: Novoyehorivka, Ivanivka, and Kyslivka in the Kharkiv region; Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region; Terny, Yampolivka, Vesele, Kurdiumivka, Chasiv Yar, Berdychi, Novopokrovske, Novomykhailivka, Mykilske, Karlivka, Umanske, Semenivka, Krasnohorivka, Oleksandrivka, Staromayorske in the Donetsk region; Malynivka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
In the Volyn and Polissia sectors, the situation has remained unchanged.In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna sectors, the enemy maintains a military presence in the border areas, conducts sabotage activities to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to the threatened areas, and increases the density of minefields along the state border.
In the Kupiansk sector, the enemy made one unsuccessful attack on the positions of Ukrainian troops near Ivanivka in the Kharkiv region.
In the Lyman sector, Ukrainian troops repelled 13 enemy attacks near the towns of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region; Terny, Yampolivka, and north of Vesele, Donetsk region, where the enemy, supported by aircraft, attempted to break through the defenses of the Ukrainian forces.
In the Bakhmut sector, the Ukrainian forces repelled seven enemy attacks in the areas of Ivanivske, Bohdanivka, and Klishchiivka in the Donetsk region.
In the Avdiivka sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled nine enemy attacks in the vicinity of Berdychi, Semenivka, Nevelske, and Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region.
In the Novopavlivka sector, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued to hold back the enemy in the areas of Novomykhailivka, Heorhiivka, and Urozhaine, where the enemy, with the support of aviation, tried to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops 26 times.
In the Orikhiv sector, the enemy, with the support of aircraft, attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders 7 times near Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region; Robotyne, and north-west of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region.
In the Kherson sector, the enemy does not abandon its intention to dislodge Ukrainian units from their footholds on the left bank of the Dnipro River. Over the past 24 hours, they launched three unsuccessful attacks on the positions of Ukrainian troops near Krynky, Kherson region." Ukrin
"In an apparent continuing shake-up of his defense leadership, Ukraine's President Zelensky has fired the the head of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council (SNBO), Oleksiy Danilov. A decree confirming his removal was published to the Ukrainian presidency's official website, however, it provided no reason or explanation for the decision. Danilov had been installed in the top national security office in October 2019." ZH
"An economic disruption along the US East Coast is unfolding with potentially tragic human consequences after a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, sending nearly the entire roadway structure crumbling into the water.The immediate priority of the rescuers is finding people who may have been on the bridge either working or driving across. The ship, the Singapore-registered Dali, was operated by charter company Synergy Group and is time chartered by Maersk carrying Maersk customers' cargo.
Of secondary concern in the days ahead will be tough questions about the effect on business, commuters, holiday travelers and the economy across the region.
The Port of Baltimore — the biggest handler of US imports and exports of cars and light trucks — looks to be out of commission indefinitely. The resulting bottleneck could accelerate a shift of goods through West Coast ports. Another crucial question: Which other ports have spare capacity to handle the Ro-Ro vessels that carry automobiles if Baltimore is closed for an extended period. Around 20 people and multiple cars likely fell in the water, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said during a media briefing early Tuesday.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a big steel crossway that carries Interstate 695, was struck by a boxship at around 1:30 a.m. ET." MS/ZH
"Fifty-seven combat engagements have been recorded on the front lines in Ukraine in the last 24 hours, with Ukrainian aircraft striking nine enemy troop concentration areas. Enemy air strikes targeted the settlements of Bilopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Popivka and Iskryskivshchyna in the Sumy region; Derhachi, Vovchanski Khutory, Starytsia and Budarky in the Kharkiv region; Makiiivka, Luhansk region; Terny, Yampolivka, Novomarkove, Chasiv Yar, Kalynivka, Druzhba, Pivdenne, Oleksandropil, Arkhanhelske, Berdychi, Semenivka, Memryk, Ocheretyne, Umanske, Novomykhailivka, Krasnohorivka, Kostiantynivka, Urozhaine and Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region; Novodanylivka and Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region; Chervonyi Maiak, Zmiivka and Mykilske in the Kherson region.
More than 120 settlements in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions were under artillery fire. In the Kupiansk sector, Ukraine's defense forces repelled an enemy attack near Ivanivka, Kharkiv region.
In the Lyman sector, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 15 enemy attacks near Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region and outside Terny, Yampolivka, Rozdolivka and Vesele in the Donetsk region.
In the Bakhmut sector, Ukrainian soldiers repelled four enemy attacks outside Klishchiivka, Donetsk region.
In the Avdiivka sector, Ukrainian defenders repelled four enemy attacks near Berdychi and Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region.
On the Novopavlivka sector, Ukraine's defense forces continue to hold off the enemy near the settlement of Novomykhailivka, where the enemy made 22 attempts to break through Ukrainian defenses.
In the Orikhiv sector, the enemy attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders four times near Staromaiorske, Donetsk region, and southwest of Bilohiria and northwest of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region.
In the Kherson sector, the enemy did not abandon the intention to dislodge Ukrainian units from the bridgeheads on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro. However, in the past day, the enemy did not conduct offensive (assault) operations.
"At the same time, our soldiers continue to inflict losses on Russian manpower and equipment, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line," the General Staff added.
In the past day, Ukrainian aircraft struck nine areas where the enemy's manpower, weapons and military equipment were concentrated.
Ukrainian missile forces hit an air defense system, an artillery piece, an EW station, a troop concentration area and a UAV control station of the Russian invaders." Ukrin
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