For today, links to commentary from Consortium News and ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date are HERE and HERE. The MARCH 29 ASSANGE entry is HERE.) — MCM

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UK legal shambles in case of Assange, by Craig Murray | CraigMurrary.org.uk / Consortium News  The latest judgment by the High Court in the Julian Assange case achieved completely the objectives of the U.K. and U.S. states. Above all, Julian remains in the hell which is Belmarsh . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 27  A mockery of British justice, by Chris Hedges | ScheerPost  Prosecutors representing the United States, whether by design or incompetence, refused — in the two-day hearing I attended in London in February — to provide guarantees that Julian Assange would be afforded First Amendment rights and would be spared the death penalty if extradited to the U.S. The inability to give . . . READ MORE . . .

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

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Israel kills dozens in airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, by Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  CAIRO — Israel sustained its aerial and ground bombardment of the Gaza Strip today, killing dozens of Palestinians, as fighting raged around Gaza City’s main Al Shifa hospital, Palestinian officials and the Israeli military said. READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 29  Netanyahu says Israel will return to table for cease-fire talks with Hamas. From AP. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will return to the table for cease-fire talks with Hamas. Friday’s announcement marks yet another attempt to reach a deal to pause Israel’s devastating war in Gaza against Hamas in exchange for  . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and the Kyiv Post, and to commentary from Indian Punchline and Marianne; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and ASSANGE entries for this date are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Zelenskyy fires more aides in a reshuffle as Russia launches drones and missiles across Ukraine. From AP. KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today dismissed his longtime presidential assistant, three advisers and two presidential representatives in a continuing reshuffle, while Russia unleashed fresh attacks overnight. READ MORE . . .

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Russia moves 5,000 children from Belgorod after Kyiv attacks. From AFP. Five thousand children have been evacuated from Russia’s Belgorod region bordering Ukraine following weeks of deadly bombardment by Kyiv, the region’s governor said today. Regional authorities last week said 9,000 minors would be moved to other . . .  READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 29   Kyiv’s top general says Ukraine needs fewer troops than expected. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukraine’s military will need to mobilise fewer people than initially expected to fend off Russia’s two-year-old invasion, Kyiv’s top general said on Friday. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in December . . . READ MORE . . .

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France-led coalition of allies could portend Western troops to Ukraine, by Viktoriia Stepanenko | Kyiv Post  Following a Feb. 26 European leaders conference in Paris about strengthening support for Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that despite the lack of consensus on sending ground troops to Ukraine, “nothing could be ruled out.” Other EU leaders promptly denied that any such plan was on the cards, including . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 14  France all dressed up and nowhere to go, by M.K. Bhadrakumar | Indian Punchline  Angst in the French mind is understandable as five centuries of western dominance of the world order is drawing to a close. This predicament condemns France to a diplomacy that . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 7  From caution to panic: What Macron’s turn hides, by Laurent Valdiguié | Marianne  What happened to the president when he considered sending troops to Ukraine? Several confidential defense reports explain . . . Click HERE for article in English, and HERE for it in French.

For today, a link to a discussion on CN Live! Other reports and commentaries from Consortium News are accessible by clicking on its name below. (GAZA, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 28  The Assange dilemma for the U.S. Elizabeth Vos and Joe Lauria of Consortium News host law professor Marjorie Cohn, journalists Craig Murray and Chris Hedges, and constitutional lawyer Bruce Afran on CN Live! to discuss this week’s ruling by the British High Court ruling on WikiLeak publisher Julian Assange. Click HERE to watch and listen.

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, and National Public Radio, and to commentary from Common Dreams via Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on its initials below. (UKRAINE, MEDIA and ASSANGE entries for this date are HERE, HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 28  Israel must open more land crossings for Gaza aid, UN court says. From AP. In a legally binding order, the top United Nations court says Israel must open more land crossings into Gaza for food, water, fuel and other supplies. The International Court of Justice . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 28  Israel has not received everything it has asked for, top U.S. general says. From Reuters. The United States’ top general said on Thursday that Israel had not received every weapon it has asked for, in part because some of it could affect the U.S. military’s readiness and there were capacity limitations. Washington gives $3.8 billion in annual . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 28  Freed Israeli Hostage recounts time in captivity. Reported by Daniel Estrin | NPR  Former Israeli hostage Luis Har speaks to NPR about how he endured 129 days of captivity in Gaza. He was freed in February by an Israeli special forces raid. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MARCH 25  Not a single Palestinian is free, by Manal A. Jamal | Common Dreams | Consortium News  From Israel, to the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), to the Gaza Strip, Israel has put in place a complex system of laws, policies, and regulations that fundamentally curtail the rights and freedoms of nearly every Palestinian and Arab (approximately 7.4 million people) in this . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Tass, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA, MEDIA and ASSANGE entries for this date, so far, are HERE, HERE and HERE.)  — MCM

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Russia launches barrage of 99 drones and missiles on Ukraine’s energy system, officials say. From AP. KYIV — Moscow launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure today, with a mass barrage of 99 drones and missiles hitting regions across the country, Ukraine’s armed forces said. The Ukrainian air force said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia’s Lavrov tells newspaper that Ukraine peace plan is pointless. From Reuters. Ukraine’s proposed peace planwas pointless as it was based on unacceptable notions like Moscow’s withdrawal from areas it has captured, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said today. “We are in any case ready to hold discussions but not on the bases of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine receives $1.5 bln funding tranche under World Bank programme, says PM. From Reuters. Ukraine has received a $1.5 billion tranche of funding under a World Bank programme, the country’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, said today — $984 million from Japan and $516 million from the UK — for social and humanitarian needs and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian air defenses destroy over 40 Ukrainian UAVs in DPR over past day. From Tass. DONETSK — Russian air defense forces destroyed more than 40 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, the DPR defense headquarters said today. The Ukrainian drones . . . READ MORE . . .

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Lithuania’s foreign minister reminds Washington what’s at stake in Ukraine war. Reported by Michele Kelemen | NPR  Lithuania’s foreign minister visited Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. this week to make a pitch to the divided electorate in the U.S. that Europe needs American support to win the war in Ukraine. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Longtime diplomat Victoria Nuland reflects on what she’s learned over the decades. Steve Inskeep of NPR speaks with the woman to retired this month as the nation’s third-highest ranking diplomat, about her career in diplomacy. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For now, a link to a report from National Public Radio done in collaboration with Floodlight; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 28  Chevron owns this city’s news site. Many stories aren’t told. Reported by Miranda Green of Floodlight and David Folkenflik of NPR  Chevron is the largest employer in Richmond Calif., its largest taxpayer and largest polluter. When writing about Chevron, The Richmond Standard toes the company line. The reason: Chevron owns The Standard. Click HERE to listen and read, and HERE for more about Floodlight.

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MAY BE CONTINUED

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

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FROM MARCH 27  Israel asks U.S. to reschedule scrapped meeting on Rafah military plans, by Nandita Bose and Matt Spetalnick | Reuters  WASHINGTON — Israel has asked the White House to reschedule a high-level meeting on military plans for Gaza’s southern city of Rafah that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had abruptly canceled, officials said on Wednesday, in an apparent bid to ease . . . READ MORE . . .

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Struggle, struggle, struggle.’ What new and expecting mothers are facing in Gaza. Reported by Elissa Nadworny | NPR  Some 20,000 children have been born in Gaza since Israel began its bombardment of the enclave in response to the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Amid a spiraling humanitarian crisis, women who are pregnant or have recently given birth are . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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Israeli soldiers play with Gaza women’s underwear in online posts, by Estelle Shirbon and Pola Grzanka | Reuters  Israeli soldiers have been posting photos and videos of themselves toying with lingerie found in Palestinian homes, creating a dissonant visual record of the war in Gaza as a looming famine intensifies world scrutiny of Israel’s offensive. In one . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 27  Questions surround international humanitarian law as Gaza’s hospitals are attacked. Reported by Linah Mohammad, Patrick Jarenwattananon and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR  Since Oct. 7, there have been at least 410 attacks on health care in Gaza, according to the World Health Organization. What does international humanitarian law say about targeting hospitals? Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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FROM MARCH 27  A former State Department employee speaks out against Biden’s support for Israel. Reported by James Hider, Vincent Acovino and Michele Kelemen | NPR  A few days after resigning from the State Department, Annelle Sheline speaks out against the Biden administration’s support for Israel and says many of her former colleagues share her concerns. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, the Kyiv Post, and Tass, and to commentary from the Kyiv Independent and Substack; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE. A MEDIA entry is HERE.) — MCM

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Russia perseveres with bombardments of Ukraine in an effort to wear down air defenses, by Illia Novikov | AP  KYIV — Russia fired salvoes of drones and missiles overnight at southern and eastern regions of Ukraine, authorities said today, injuring more than a dozen people as the Kremlin’s forces persevered with attritional attacks designed to wear down Ukrainian defenses. The regular bombardment of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Putin says Russia will not attack NATO, but F-16s will be shot down in Ukraine. From Reuters. MOSCOW — Russia has no designs on any NATO country and will not attack Poland, the Baltic states or the Czech Republic but if the West supplies F-16 fighters to Ukraine then they will be shot down by Russian forces, President Vladimir . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kyiv military chief warns of Russian sabotage threat in city. From Kyiv Post.  The head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Serhiy Popko, has raised concerns about the threat of Russian sabotage-reconnaissance groups attempting to infiltrate the city. Recent statements by Russian leaders signaled . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia seizes initiative as Ukraine faces troop, ammunition shortages — newspaper. From Tass. LONDON — Russia has seized the initiative in the special military operation zone because the Ukrainian armed forces are facing manpower and ammunition shortages, the Financial Times writes. According to . . . READ MORE . . .

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Portrait of the invader: 2 years of Russian soldiering in Ukraine, by Igor Kossov | The Kyiv Independent  In two years of total war, Moscow has tried every trick to keep the death march going. It . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 27  Duty to warn, by Seymour M. Hersh | seymourhersh.Substack.com  President Putin chose to ignore the warnings from American intelligence, and in the aftermath of the ISIS-K attack he has fixated on what he apparently and wrongly believes was an attack that had been orchestrated or known in advance by the Ukrainian government. READ MORE . . .

Links to a news release from Consortium News, and to commentary from ScheerPost; their reports and commentary are accessible by clicking on their names below. NOTE: The Spanish-language link in the CN news release may not work, but the link consortiumnews.com/es does work. (GAZA and UKRAINE entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 27  Consortium News introduces international editions. From Consortium News. Consortium News now has dedicated websites in more than 100 languages, providing separate national editions of its award-winning journalism. Readers in numerous countries can . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 24  PEN America self-destructs, by Chris Hedges | ScheerPost   PEN America, once an important defender of rights for writers, editors and artists, has, under the direction of former State Department official Suzanne Nossel, abandoned its mission, destroyed its credibility and provoked a revolt among its members. READ MORE . . .