Assange, 3-21-24

A link to a report from Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 20  Assange in plea deal talks, by Joe Lauria| Consortium News  Lawyers for Julian Assange and officials of the U.S. Justice Department are engaged in talks for a possible plea deal that could see Assange walk out of Belmarsh Prison in London as a free man, according to a report Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper said the DOJ was considering whether to allow . . . READ MORE . . .

Ukraine, 3-21-24

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, the Kyiv Post, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent, and to an interview from The Grayzone via ScheerPost and Popular Resistance; other news and commentary are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and an ASSANGE entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

   

Russia fires 31 missiles at Kyiv in the first attack in 44 days, and 13 people are hurt, by Hanna Arhirova | AP  KYIV — Russia fired 31 ballistic and cruise missiles at Kyiv before dawn today in the first attack on the Ukrainian capital in 44 days, officials said. Air defenses shot down all the incoming missiles, though 13 people including a child were injured by . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Zelensky calls for air defenses after Russian missiles target Kyiv. From AFP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the West to deliver air defense systems to Kyiv after an overnight Russian missile attack injured 17 in the capital and surrounding region. “Such terror . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Kremlin will retaliate if the EU uses profits from Russian assets to arm Ukraine. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia will take retaliatory measures in accordance with its own interests and use every legal mechanism at its disposal if the European Union uses profits from frozen Russian assets to buy arms for Ukraine, the Kremlin said today. READ MORE . . .

   

EU leaders gather with Ukraine ammunition production and Gaza aid at the top of their agenda. From AP. BRUSSELS — European Union leaders gathered today to consider new ways to help boost arms and ammunition production for Ukraine and to discuss the war in Gaza amid deep concern about Israeli plans to launch a ground offensive in the city of Rafah. Ukraine’s munition stocks are desperately low, and Russia . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Russian army says captured another village in eastern Ukraine. From AFP. Moscow said today that it had captured another village in east Ukraine, around 10 kilometres (six miles) from the city of Avdiivka, which fell to Russian forces last month. It was the second village west of Avdiivka . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Russia diverts troops from front line to protect Belgorod — Bloomberg, by Petro Zhyzhyian | Kyiv Post  The Russian Ministry of Defense was forced to withdraw military units from the front line to protect Belgorod near the border with Ukraine, which was attacked by . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Russian servicemen to kill all French soldiers in Ukraine — senior lawmaker. From Tass. PARIS — Russian servicemen will eliminate all French soldiers coming to Ukraine, State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy said. On March 19, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergey Naryshkin said that France was already preparing . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Ukrhydroenergo’s losses due to Russian attacks amount to over $3 billion, by Kateryna Hodunova | The Kyiv Independent  Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Ukrhydroenergo assessed its losses stemming from Russian attacks at 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion), the company’s press service said today. Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, Russian attacks . . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM MARCH 15  Sweden closing Nordstream investigation is a shocking coverup, says investigator. From The Grayzone via ScheerPost and Popular Resistance. Max Blumenthal of the Grayzone talks with Swedish engineer Erik Andersson, who led the first independent investigation to the site of the Nordstream pipelines blast sites, on the Swedish government’s sudden closing of the investigation into the terror attack on the eve of joining NATO. Click HERE for video of interview.

Gaza, 3-20-24

For today, links to Associated Press and Reuters reports and to commentary via Middle East Eye and Global Research; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM  

   

Blinken adds Israel stop to latest Mideast tour as tensions rise over Gaza war, by Matthew Lee | AP  JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel this week as part of his sixth urgent mission to the Middle East since the Israelis’ war with Hamas began in October, as relations between the two countries have soured dramatically in recent weeks. The visit. . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM MARCH 19  In Gaza, starving children fill hospital wards as famine looms, by Mohammad Salem and Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber | Reuters  Twenty-seven children have died of malnutrition and dehydration in recent weeks at the Kamal Adwan hospital in north Gaza in recent weeks, the health ministry says, and other children have died in the al-Shifa Hospital, also in the north, while in Rafah in the south . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 15  War on Gaza: Torture, executions, babies left to die, sexual abuse… These are Israel’s crimes, by Jonathan Cook | jonathan-cook.net / Middle East Eye / Global Research  The western establishment media has been chock full of the most lurid allegations of savagery directed against Hamas, sometimes with little or no supporting evidence. Claims that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine, 3-20-24

For today, links to reports from the Moscow Times, the Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, Reuters and the Associated Press, and to an invitation to register for a free online discussion. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

   

2 Belgorod civilians killed in ‘massive’ border shelling, governor says. From the Moscow Times. Two civilians have been killed in a Ukrainian shelling attack on southwestern Russia’s Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said today as anti-Kremlin militias of Russian nationals threatened more cross-border incursions. “The Graivoron district has. . . READ MORE . . .

   

Roadblocks set up in Russian Belgorod region as anti-Kremlin militias continue attacks, by Julia Struck | Kyiv Post  Starting today, entry is limited in seven settlements in Russia’s Belgorod region, with roadblocks positioned at their entrances, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov announced. Simultaneously, sources from the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Drone strikes reportedly hit Russia’s Engels airbase, other locations in Belgorod, Saratov oblasts, by Nate Ostiller and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  Drones reportedly hit Russia’s Engels military airbase in Saratov Oblast overnight, and other drone strikes were reported in Belgorod Oblast, Russian authorities and Telegram channels said today. Sources from Ukraine’s military intelligence said its operatives . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Russia says it is pushing Ukrainian forces back, will create two new armies, by Guy Faulconbridge | Reuters  MOSCOW — Russia said today its soldiers were pushing Ukrainian forces back and that Moscow would bolster its military by adding two new armies and 30 new formations by the end of this year. Russia controls . . . READ MORE . . .

   

A Russian border region reels from sustained Ukrainian artillery and drone strikes, by Emma Burrows | AP  Russia’s Belgorad border region, pounded by Ukrainian shelling and drones, is expanding its closure of schools and colleges amid a major evacuation plan, authorities announced today, as Kyiv’s forces extend their campaign of long-range strikes that aim to put the Kremlin under pressure. Ukraine lacks ammunition supplies . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Update on Ukraine with James Brooke. From the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning (OLLI) at Berkshire Community College. An online discussion with former New York Times foreign correspondent and former Ukraine reporter James Brooke, will begin Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m. EDT. Online via Zoom. Free & open to all. He is back to give another in-depth analysis of the war in Ukraine drawing on a total of 14 years living and working Kyiv and Moscow. Click HERE for more details.

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Gaza, 3-19-24

For today, links to reports from National Public Radio, the Associated Press, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM   

   

FROM MARCH 18  Half the population of Gaza is facing catastrophic food insecurity, WFP says. Reported by Fatma Tanis | NPR  More than half of Gaza’s population is experiencing catastrophic food insecurity, according to a new report. Despite international pressure on Israel to allow more aid in, it hasn’t been enough. Click HERE to listen and read.

   

Famine is said to be imminent in northern Gaza as Israel raids the main hospital again, by Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Tia Goldenberg | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Famine is imminent in northern Gaza, where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger, according to a report Monday that warned escalation of the war could push half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation. The report, by . . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM MARCH 18  Gaza’s catastrophic food shortage means mass death is imminent, monitor says, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Dan Williams and Aidan Lewis | Reuters  CAIRO / JERUSALEM / LONDON — Extreme food shortages in parts of the Gaza Strip have already exceeded famine levels, and mass death is now imminent without an immediate ceasefire and surge of food to areas cut off by fighting, the global hunger monitor said on Monday. READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine, 3-19-24

For today, links to reports from the Moscow Times, Tass, the Kyiv Independent, Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

   

In major reshuffle, Russia names Admiral Moiseyev new Navy chief. From the Moscow Times. Admiral Alexander Moiseyev has been appointed as the new acting chief of Russia’s navy, state-run media reported today. The Kremlin previously declined to comment on reports from earlier this month that Moiseyev allegedly replaced Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov amid the Russian navy’s mounting losses to . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Russian troops liberate Orlovka community in Avdeyevka area — top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian troops liberated the community of Orlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today in a . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Borrell wants to use 90% of Russian asset profits to buy arms for Ukraine, by Martin Fornusek | The Kyiv Independent Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, said he would propose to use 90% of the revenue generated by frozen Russian assets to purchase weapons for Ukraine via the European Peace Facility fund, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported today. The remaining 10% . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Out of money, Pentagon chief tries to convince allies of commitment to Ukraine, by Idrees Ali | Reuters  RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin today will try and convince European allies that President Joe Biden’s administration is still committed to supporting Ukraine, even as Washington has essentially . . . READ MORE . . .

   

U.S. defense chief vows continued aid to Ukraine, even as Congress is stalled on funding bill, by Lolita C. Baldor | AP  RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed today that the U.S. will continue to support Ukraine’s war effort against Russia, even as the U.S. Congress remains stalled over funding to send additional weapons to the front. “The United States . . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM MARCH 18  How six more years under Putin will shape the war in Ukraine. Reported by Jonaki Mehta, Courtney Dorning and Sacha Pfeiffer | NPR  Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Dara Massicot of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace about how Vladimir Putin’s reelection impacts the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and read.

   

FROM MARCH 18 The CIA’s secret war using Russian fascists to fight Russia, by Scott Ritter | Special to Consortium News  In the days leading to the Russian presidential election, three Russian paramilitary organizations working under the auspices of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, or GUR, launched a series of attacks on the territory of the Russian Federation. The purpose was clear — to  . . . READ MORE . . .

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Gaza, 3-18-24

For today, links to reports from Reuters and National Public Radio, and to commentary via ScheerPost; other reports and commentary are accessible by clicking on their names below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM   

   

Famine expected by May in Gaza, says U.N.-backed report, by Aidan Lewis | Reuters — Famine is expected between now and May in the north of the Gaza Strip, a U.N.-backed report said today, after more than five months of war which have shattered the Palestinian territory, killed thousands and cut off supplies. Across the whole of the besieged enclave, the number of people facing “catastrophic hunger” . . . READ MORE . . .

   

EU’s Borrell says Israel is provoking famine in Gaza. From Reuters. BRUSSELS — “In Gaza we are no longer on the brink of famine, we are in a state of famine, affecting thousands of people,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Burrell said today. Israel’s foreign minister rejected the assertion. READ MORE . . .

   

Israel’s most important ally, the U.S., expresses frustration with the war in Gaza. Steve Inskeep of NPR talks with former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren about the fraying relations between Israel and the U.S. How damaged is Israel’s most important alliance? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

   

FROM MARCH 11  Here’s what Pramila Patten’s UN report on Oct 7 sexual violence actually said. From the Feminist Solidarity Network for Palestine /  Mondoweiss / ScheerPost  Over the past four months, a concerted propaganda campaign, mounted by the Israeli government and amplified across various Western media outlets, has accused Hamas of using rape as a weapon of war on Oct. 7. Allegations that . . . READ MORE . . .

       

FROM MARCH 16  The Genocide Democrats’ — Max Blumenthal Speaks at Woman’s National Democratic Club. A video from ScheerPost.  From introduction: “On March 7 Blumenthal of The Grayzone “discussed the crisis within the Democratic Party as the party grassroots revolts against President Joe Biden’s . . .” Click HERE for video and rest of video.

Ukraine, 3-18-24

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, the Moscow Times, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent, and to commentary from Indian Punchline and, via Popular Resistance, MintPress News; others are accessible by clicking on their names and initials below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, is HERE.) — MCM

   

Putin says Russia is planning a buffer zone to protect against Ukrainian cross-border attacks. From AP. Russia won’t relent in its invasion of Ukraine, with one of its forthcoming goals being to establish a buffer zone along the border to help protect against long-range Ukrainian strikes and cross-border raids, Russian President Vladimir Putin said late Sunday. “In view of the current tragic . . . READ MORE . . .

   

2 killed, 4 injured in air strike on Russia’s Belgorod. From the Moscow Times. Two people were killed and four others were injured in a Ukrainian air strike on a village in western Russia’s Belgorod region, authorities saidtoday. Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said . . . READ MORE . . .

     

Ukrainian shelling of Russia’s Belgorod Region kills 11, injures 82 over week. From Tass. BELGOROD — A total of 11 civilians of Russia’s Belgorod Region have died and 82 have been injured as a result of Ukrainian shelling during the week of March 12-18 and 40 remain in the hospital, according to regional Health Minister Andrey Ikonnikov. READ MORE . . .

   

U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham arrives in Kyiv, by Elsa Court | The Kyiv Independent  KYIV — Republican U.S. senator Lindsay Graham arrived in Kyiv, the U.S. Embassy said today. His visit comes as U.S. aid to Ukraine remains delayed. While the Senate . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 13  Failed IJC case against Russia backfires, by Kit Klarenberg | MintPress News / Popular Resistance  As January became February, the International Court of Justice delivered a pair of legal body blows to Ukraine and its Western backers. First, on Jan. 31, it ruled on . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 10  ‘Novorossiya’ rising from ashes like phoenix, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  Vladimir Putin’s meeting on March 6 in Moscow with top officials of economic ministries and leaders of the southern and Azov sea regions — ‘Novorossiya’ historically — signifies . . . READ MORE . . .

Gaza, 3-17-24

For today, links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press, and to commentary from Responsible Statecraft via Popular Resistance; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM   

   

Deadly strikes hit Gaza as Israel prepares return to ceasefire talks, by Andrew Mills and Maayan Lubell | Reuters  DOHA / JERUSALEM – At least 61 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli bombardments in Gaza, as Israel prepared to send a delegation to Qatar for new ceasefire talks on a hostage deal with the militant group Hamas. This comes as the main United Nations aid agency operating in Gaza said on Saturday that acute malnutrition was accelerating in the north of the Palestinian enclave. Shelling and  . . . READ MORE . . .

   

How should Israel bring to justice the perpetrators behind the worst attack in its history? by Tia Goldenberg | AP  TEL AVIV — Hamas’ unprecedented raid on southern Israel has prompted a legal predicament: How does a country scarred by the deadliest attack in its history bring the perpetrators to justice? Israel is holding hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza accused of taking part in the Oct. 7 attack that . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 13  Mission creep: Will pier become beachhead for U.S. in Gaza? by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos | Responsible Statecraft / Popular Resistance  The Pentagon’s plan for floating piers and a causeway to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza is drawing fire from military experts for its lack of detail, potential danger to U.S. troops, and risk of mission creep. Bottom line, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher. “Biden is committing the United States military to . . . READ MORE . . .

Ukraine, 3-17-24

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse and the Kyiv Post, commentary from Responsible Statecraft and the Berkshire Eagle, and an interview from National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.) — MCM

     

Wave of drones target Russia on final day of voting. From AFP. Russia said it was targeted by a wave of Ukrainian drones today, as thousands headed to the polls for a final day of elections set to extend President Vladimir Putin’s rule. Queues of people were seen forming outside polling stations in Moscow and Saint Petersburg at noon, when . . . READ MORE . . .

   

Drone swarm attacks another Russian oil refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban. From Kyiv Post. Explosions hit another oil refinery in southern Russia at around 3 a.m. local time today. The Nefte Peregonnyy Zavod in Slavyansk-on-Kuban, in the Krasnodar region was attacked by at least seven . . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM MARCH 15  Does Putin want to end the war? We should test him, by Branko Marcetic | Responsible Statecraft  “It would be ridiculous for us to start negotiating with Ukraine just because it’s running out of ammunition,” Putin told interviewer Dmitry Kiselyov, on Wednesday, according to one particularly viral and widely cited tweet by Wall Street Journal chief foreign affairs correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov.  . . .  Except that’s not what Putin said. In fact, by reading the full text and . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 16  Russia faces tense first presidential election since Ukraine invasionby James Brooke | The Berkshire Eagle  Some people are spoiling Vladimir Putin’s carefully choreographed presidential election party. On Tuesday, Ukraine launched three days of drone attacks deep into Russia. In the largest air attack on Russia since World War II, three . . . READ MORE . . .

   

FROM MARCH 16  How the war in Ukraine has reshaped NATO.  Scott Detrow of NPR talks with Jack Detsch, a national security correspondent for Foreign Policy, more than two years into Russia’s war on Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.