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

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Ukraine strikes Belgorod Region with drones, makes another attempt to infiltrate Russia. From Tass. MOSCOW — Two people were killed and at least 10 others wounded as Ukrainian forces attacked Belgorod and the Belgorod Region today, local officials said. The Russian Defense Ministry, too, said . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian drone strikes disrupt TV signal in northeast Ukraine. From Reuters. KYIV — The northeastern Ukrainian border region of Sumy said parts of its territory had lost television and radio signal today after Russia launched a mass overnight drone attack that damaged communications infrastructure. The attack with 36 drones . . . READ MORE . . .

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Day 3 of Russian rebel insurgency in Belgorod and Kursk, by Leo Chiu | Kyiv  Post  Fighting between pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters and   Russian forces has resumed in Russia’s Belgorod region. The fighting started on Tuesday in what the Russian Volunteer Corps, Freedom of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Medvedev slams ‘brain-dead’ Zelensky formula, proposes abolishing Ukraine. From Tass. MOSCOW — Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev sees Kiev’s much-hyped “peace formula” as unviable, proposing a drastically different way out. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s “peace formula” . . . READ MORE . . .

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Syrskyi: Ukraine begins rotation of troops who have been fighting ‘for a long time,’ by Chris York | The Independent  Ukraine has begun rotating troops who have been serving at the front “for a long time” despite the increasingly difficult situation faced by the country’s Armed Forces, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said today. He said Ukrainian troops continued to hold . . . READ MORE . . . .

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Kremlin says Putin didn’t threaten to use nuclear weapons, U.S. took him out of context. From Reuters. MOSCOW — The Kremlin said today that comments on nuclear weapons that Russian President Vladimir Putin made in an interview with state media did not constitute a threat to use them, and accused the U.S. of deliberately taking the remarks out of context. Putin said in the interview published on Wednesday . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 13  Russia warns Ukraine war could spin out of control due to action of one or two NATO countries. From Reuters.  MOSCOW — Russia warned on Wednesday that the war in Ukraine could spin out of control and expand geographically due to the ill-considered actions of one or two member states from the NATO military alliance. The conflict has triggered the deepest crisis in . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 13  Putin warns again that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty is threatened. From AP. President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is threatened, issuing another blunt warning to the West just days before an election. The Russian leader has repeatedly talked about his readiness . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia says 6K foreign fighters killed in Ukraine. From the Moscow Times. Russia said today its forces have killed nearly 6,000 foreign volunteers fighting on the side of Ukraine since Moscow’s full-scale invasion over two years ago. According to the Defense Ministry, 13,387 “foreign mercenaries” from dozens of countries have fought in Ukraine . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia bans entry to 227 U.S. citizens involved in Washington’s Russophobic agenda – MFA. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia has banned entry to another 227 Americans involved in fostering and implementing the Russophobic policy of the current U.S. administration, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced. “In the context . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 12  The debate over Israel as ‘U.S. aircraft carrier,’ by Diana Johnstone | Special to Consortium News  Inside one administration after another, former Dick Cheney aide Victoria Nuland has advanced the neocon agenda, notably by managing the Ukrainian disaster. The Project for a New American Century . . . READ MORE . . .

NOTE: LINKS WERE ADDED LATER THAN USUAL TODAY.

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

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UN aid agency says at least one staffer killed in Israeli strike on Gaza aid centre. From AFP.  GAZA  —  The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said one of its staff members was killed today in an Israeli strike on a food distribution centre in war-hit Gaza. “At least one UNRWA staff member was killed and another 22 were injured when  . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 12  Signs of growing friction between U.S. President Biden and Israel’s Netanyahu. Reported by Greg Myre  | NPR  President Biden is warning Israel against an invasion of the Gaza town where displaced Palestinians are living in tents. Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, says the operation is still in the works. Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MARCH 12  U.S., allies eye commercial maritime option for Gaza aid, by Phil Stewart, Humeyra Pamuk and Jonathan Landay | Reuters  WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. may urge partners and allies to fund a privately run operation to send aid by sea to Gaza that could begin before a much larger U.S. military effort, said three people familiar with the planning and a U.S. official. If funding . . . READ MORE . . .

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A radical Mideast proposal: What if the U.S. recognized a Palestinian state now? Reported by Greg Myre | NPR There were lots of unanswered questions at the time U.S. President Harry Truman gave his immediate endorsement to Israel’s 1948 declaration of its statehood. The new nation didn’t have fixed borders. It was facing war with . . . Click HERE to listen and read.

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FROM MARCH 12  Jim Sciutto on if the next world war is preventable. Reported by Elena Burnett, William Troop and Mary Louise Kelly | NPR  CNN chief national security analyst Jim Sciutto talks about his new book, The Return of Great Powers, and how close we are to the precipice of a new global order. Click HERE to listen and read.

NOTE: LINKS WERE ADDED LATER THAN USUAL TODAY.

For today, links to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Tass, and the Kyiv Independent; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date is HERE.)  — MCM

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EU agrees to 5-bn-euro package to fund arms for Ukraine. From AFP. EU member states agreed today to add five billion euros ($5.5 billion) to a central fund to pay for weapons sent to Ukraine The move . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian drones damage Russian oil refineries in second day of attacks, by Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Ke | Reuters MOSCOW — Ukraine struck Russian oil refineries in a second day of heavy drone attacks today, causing a fire at Rosneft’s biggest refinery in what President Vladimir Putin said was an attempt to disrupt his country’s presidential election this week. Russia and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kiev loses 245 troops in Donetsk area over past day — Russia’s top brass. From Tass. MOSCOW — The Ukrainian military lost roughly 245 troops, a tank, and an air defense system in battles with Russian forces in the Donetsk area over the past day, according to the Russian Defense Ministry’s latest data on the special military operation in Ukraine. READ MORE . . .

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Russian missile attack on Kryvyi Rih kills 5, injures dozens, by Martin Fornusek and Olena Goncharova | The Kyiv Independent  A Russian attack against the city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on March 12 started a fire in a residential building and five people, said Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city’s military administration, and other officials. At least three missile hits . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine’s army chief says battle situation ‘difficult.’ From AFP. Ukraine’s army chief said today the situation on the battlefield was “difficult” and that Russian forces could be poised to strike deep into Ukrainian lines in the eastern Donetsk region. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said he had visited two . . . READ MORE . . .

A link to a message from the International Center for 9/11 Justice; 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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Campbell family to take on British AG in fight to reopen son’s inquest and prove Twin Towers were destroyed by controlled demolition. From the International Center for 9/11 Justice. Letter from Matt Campbell reads in part: “Dear Friends, We have reached the goal! On behalf of my family, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thanks to all of you, our barrister will begin work this week. We will . . . Click HERE to read.

For today, links to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press and to commentary via Consortium News; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a 9/11 TRUTH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM   

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Israeli jets hit Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley for a second day: Lebanese sources. From Reuters. BEIRUT — Israeli warplanes struck Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley for a second consecutive day today, hitting a facility belonging to Hezbollah and killing at least one member of the Iran-backed group, sources in Lebanon said. Hezbollah announced earlier today it had . . . READ MORE . . .

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Aid ship sets sail to Gaza, where hundreds of thousands face starvation 5 months into war, by Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Menelaos Hadjicostis  | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — An aid ship loaded with some 200 tons of food set sail for Gaza today in a pilot program for the opening of a sea corridor to the territory, where the five-month-old Israel-Hamas war has driven hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation. READ MORE . . .

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FROM JAN. 30 and MARCH 7  Hamas’ official account, Parts 1 & 2, by As`ad AbuKhalil | Special to Consortium News  In January, the information office of Hamas issued a special document titled “This is our account: Why the Aqsa Deluge.” In it, the movement explains in detail its motives and goals for the operation. The document is not likely . . . READ MORE . . . Click HERE for Part 2.

For today, links to reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, the Moscow Times, the Kyiv Independent, the Kyiv Post, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA entry for this date and a 9/11 TRUTH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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Ukraine knocks out Russian refinery in major attack, by Guy Faulconbridge and Lidia Kelly| Reuters  KYIV — MOSCOW — Ukraine pounded targets in Russia with dozens of drones and rockets today in a sweeping attack that inflicted serious damage on a major oil refinery and sought to pierce the land borders of the world’s biggest nuclear power with armed proxies. Russia and . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia reports Ukrainian drone strikes on targets deep inside its territory and a border incursion, by Jim Heinz and Hanna Arhirova | AP   Ukraine launched a wave of long-range drones against targets deep inside Russia today, Russian officials said, hitting at least two oil facilities in the attack on eight regions of Russia in the latest display of Kyiv’s expanding drone capacity. Also today . . . READ MORE . . .

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Pro-Kyiv militia says captured Russian border village. From the Moscow Times. A group of Russian volunteer forces fighting with Ukraine have captured the village of Tyotkino inside Russia, the group said today, after Moscow claimed to have pushed back attacks on two border regions. “The settlement of . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian anti-Kremlin militia break into Russia, claim to occupy villages, by Kateryna Denisova, Nate Ostiller and news desk | The Kyiv Independent  The Freedom of Russia Legion and the Siberian Battalion crossed the border into Russia from Ukraine today to conduct combat operations, according to the Russian anti-Kremlin armed groups. The Freedom of Russia Legion later said that it had taken control of . . . READ MORE . . .

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City administration building targeted by drones in Russian Belgorod. From Kyiv Post  The city administration building in the Russian city of Belgorod was hit by a drone today, as reported by regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov via Telegram. According to . . . READ MORE . . .

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What we know about attempts by Ukrainian forces to enter Belgorod, Kursk regions. From Tass. MOSCOW — Ukrainian forces attempted to cross the border in the Belgorod and Kursk regions, but were repelled and suffered losses, according to the Russian Defense Ministry and the Federal Security Service. They said the sabotage groups were . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russian forces liberate Nevelskoye community in Donetsk area over past day. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russian forces liberated the community of Nevelskoye in the Donetsk area over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry said today. And in the Kupyansk area . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, and Reuters; others are accessible by clicking on their initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date and a 9/11 TRUTH entry are HERE and HERE.)  — MCM   

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Palestinians in Gaza begin Ramadan with hunger worsening and no end in sight to the Israel-Hamas war, by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy | AP  RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinians began fasting for Ramadan today as the Muslim holy month arrived with cease-fire talks at a standstill, hunger worsening across the Gaza Strip and no end in sight to the five-month-old war between Israel and Hamas. Prayers were held outside amid . . . READ MORE . . .

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The war in Gaza alters they way many Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan. Reported by Steve Inskeep, Aya Batrawy and Daniel Estrin | NPR  The world has been pushing for a pause in the fighting in the Israel-Hamas war by the start of Ramadan. The Muslim holy month has begun and still no cease-fire agreement is in place. Click HERE to listen and, later, read.

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Israel checking reports that Hamas’ military No 2 killed in Gaza strike, by Maayan Lubell and Nidal Al-Mughrabi | Reuters  JERUSALEM / CAIRO — Israel was checking today if Hamas’s second-highest military leader died in an air strike, media said, as talks stumbled to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza war to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. If his death is confirmed, Marwan Issa would be . . . READ MORE . . .

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The Democratic protest vote movement over the Israel-Hamas war spreads from Michigan to other states, by Joey Cappelletti | AP  LANSING, Mich. — The protest-vote movement over President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war has spread to several states and raised more questions about whether a small but significant number of Democrats angry at Biden might abandon him in November. A week . . . READ MORE . . .

For today, links to reports from the Kyiv Independent, the Kyiv Post, Reuters, the Moscow Times, Agence France-Presse, and Tass; others are accessible by clicking on their names below. (GAZA entry for this date and a 9/11 TRUTH entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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CNN: Russia producing 3 times more shells than U.S., Europe can provide to Ukraine, by Kateryna Denisova | The Kyiv Independent  Russia is set to produce nearly three times as many artillery munitions as the U.S. and Europe this year, CNN reported today, citing NATO intelligence estimates and unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Russia . . . READ MORE . . .

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‘First Oscar in Ukrainian history’ – Academy Award for ‘20 Days in Mariupol,’ by Stash Luczkiw | The Kyiv Post  The Ukrainian documentary “20 Days in Mariupol” won an Oscar for best documentary film on Sunday night in Los Angeles, Calif. The film was shot during the Russian siege of Mariupol in the first weeks after . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukraine downs 15 of 25 Russian drones targeting Odesa, infrastructure hit. From Reuters. KYIV — Ukrainian air defences shot down 15 out of 25 Russian drones launched in an overnight attack on the southern Odesa region, but an infrastructure facility was hit, the military and regional officials said today. The military said in a statement . . . READ MORE . . .

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Ukrainian shelling of western Russian village kills 1. From the Moscow Times. A man was killed in Ukrainian shelling of a Kursk region village in western Russia, authorities said today. The region’s governor, Roman Starovoit, said the village of Goncharovka in the Suzhdansky district . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 10  Russia says downed Ukrainian drone over Leningrad region. From the Moscow Times. Authorities in northwestern Russia’s Leningrad region said Sunday that air defense systems shot down a Ukrainian drone flying in the area, as airspace over that region and the city of St. Petersburg was closed “to ensure safety.” Regional governor . . . READ MORE . . .

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HUR confirms head of Russia’s Navy dismissed after losing a string of warships, by Kateryna Zakharchenko | Kyiv Post  Kyiv  Post sources in Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR) have confirmed the that Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, has been forced to resign, an outcome that had been planned for a long time. “The final straw was the destruction of the Sergey Kotov,” the source . . . READ MORE . . .

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Kremlin declines to comment on naval chief sacking reports. From AFP.  The Kremlin said today that it would not comment on reports that it had sacked the commander-in-chief of the Russian navy after having lost several warships to Ukrainian attacks in the Black Sea. Russian media . . . READ MORE . . .

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Zelensky criticizes Pope Francis’s white flag call as ‘virtual mediation.’ From Tass. MOSCOW — Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has dismissed Pope Francis’s proposal for peace in Ukraine as “virtual mediation.” Zelensky thanked Ukrainian religious figures . . . READ MORE . . .

A link to a discussion on the prospects for the Supreme Court’s deciding whether to hear the merits of a petition challenging a federal agency’s reports on the collapses of three skyscrapers at the World Trade Center in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. Linked are a letter by the CEO of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth and an hour-long discussion on the background of the case and some of the politics and legalities involved. Other information is accessible by clicking on AE911Truth below. (GAZA entry for this date, so far, and a UKRAINE entry are HERE and HERE.) — MCM

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FROM MARCH 8  Our fight is everyone’s fight: Spread the word about our Supreme Court challenge, by Roland Angle | AE911Truth  This week our attorneys submitted our petition to the United States Supreme Court, challenging the rulings of lower courts in our case against the National Institute for Standards and Technology. Among the challenges under review is a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that set a dangerous standard for our nation. Click HERE for the rest of the letter and a video of the discussion.

For now, links to reports from Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press, and to commentary from ScheerPost; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE entry for this date, so far, is HERE.)– MCM

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Israel says Mossad, CIA chiefs met on March 8 to ‘advance’ hostage release deal. From AFP.  JERUSALEM — Israel said Saturday its spy chief had met with his U.S. counterpart as part of efforts to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza. The statement came as mediators . . . READ MORE . . .

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Israeli strike on house kills five: state media. From AFP.  At least five people were killed on Saturday, four from the same family, and nine wounded in an Israeli strike on a house in southern Lebanon, the country’s official National News Agency reported. Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, a Hamas ally, and Israel have . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 9  Another top donor says it will resume funding the UN agency for Palestinians as Gaza hunger grows, by Menelaos Hadjicostis | AP  NICOSIA, Cyprus — Another top donor to the U.N. agency aiding Palestinians, Sweden, said Saturday that it would resume funding, weeks after more than a dozen countries halted hundreds of millions of dollars of support in response to . . . READ MORE . . .

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FROM MARCH 8  The West’s reckoning? by Michael Brenner | ScheerPost  Western leaders are experiencing two stunning events: defeat in Ukraine, genocide in Palestine. The first is humiliating, the other shameful. Yet,. . . READ MORE . . .

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MAY BE CONTINUED