03 World

New Ethnic Unity Law Threatens Minority Languages and Cultural Identity– chinadigitaltimes.net

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

Blurb:

During the recently concluded “Two Sessions” annual legislative meetings, the National People’s Congress (NPC) passed a new “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress” that many scholars and educators fear will threaten the survival of languages including Tibetan, Mongolian, and Uyghur, and further undermine cultural identity among non-Han communities in China. Strongly promoted by Xi Jinping and other CCP leaders, the law was passed with 2,756 votes (and just three opposing votes and three ⁠abstentions) and is scheduled to take effect on July 1 of this year.

It contains wide-ranging provisions that encompass education, housing policy, entertainment, and other areas. The law formalizes assimilationist policies including the strict promotion of Mandarin as the “national common language” in education and public affairs. Schools and universities will no longer be allowed to teach core subjects in languages such as Tibetan, Uyghurs, or Mongolian. It also contains language suggesting restrictions on freedom of speech and potential penalties for those outside of China who “engage in activities that undermine ethnic unity” or incite “ethnic separatism.”

Six Nations Will Help Guard Strait of Hormuz – PJ Media– pjmedia.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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After days of delay, complaint, and indecision, six nations have committed to helping the United States patrol the Strait of Hormuz, preventing the Iranian regime from closing the economically key waterway.

President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform shared an alert on Thursday, and the governments themselves issued a joint statement confirming the important shift in open opposition to the terrorist Iranian regime during the joint U.S.-Israeli Operation Epic Fury. Japan and five European allies of the USA will finally do their fair share in the Strait, which is actually more important for their economies and energy supply than for ours.

Besides Japan, the countries that are now stating their “readiness” to assist in patrolling the Strait of Hormuz are Great Britain, Italy, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. “We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces,” the countries explained in the joint statement.

Military Operational Thinking in an Age of Artificial Intelligence– warontherocks.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

Blurb:

In recent years, as AI has begun to enter military planning and operational design, a persistent unease has surfaced among practitioners. Even with improved tools, increased tempo, and unprecedented access to data, plans continue to falter on integration, coherence, and a shared sense of direction. Marco Lyons’ recent War on the Rocks article on the perceived decline of operational art gives voice to this unease in a way that is both timely and important.

We do not know enough about the specific wargame, its constraints, or its internal dynamics to adjudicate these conclusions directly. What Lyons’ account nevertheless captures with clarity is a set of recurring difficulties that many practitioners recognize: fragmented campaigns, sequential decision-making, and a widening gap between planning activity and operational coherence.

Drawing on our experience teaching operational art and experimenting with planning, we share this concern. Yet Lyons’ observations may also point to something deeper: a tension between different ways of thinking about operations.

Polls Show MAGA, GOP Overwhelmingly Back Trump’s Iran Op ‘Epic Fury’– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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Polling throughout the nearly three-week U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran has consistently shown near-unanimous backing for President Donald Trump’s decision to launch Operation Epic Fury among the MAGA base and overwhelming support among Republicans, while a new Rasmussen Reports survey released Monday finds that a majority of likely voters overall say the operation has been succeeding.

The Rasmussen poll found that 61 percent of likely voters say the military operation against Iran has been successful so far, including 35 percent who describe it as “very successful.”

The survey also underscored the level of public engagement with the conflict, with 81 percent of voters saying they have been closely following developments, including 49 percent who said they have followed them “very closely” — a group among whom support rises to 66 percent.

Support is markedly stronger among Republicans and Trump voters.

Eighty-one percent of Republicans say the operation has been successful, along with 56 percent of unaffiliated voters and 45 percent of Democrats.

Soaring Russia and Iran threat as UK minister issues chilling ‘danger’ warning– www.mirror.co.uk

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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British Defence Minister Al Carns has warned “we live in very dangerous times” with soaring threats from Russia and the Middle East stretching from the “high north” to Iran. The alarm follows more than two weeks of the US-Israeli war on Iran, during which British troops have fought off drone and missile threats from Iran and its proxies.

Senior western officials have confirmed European militaries are increasingly concerned about the Strait and demands by America for countries such as the UK to become involved. A UK refusal to send ships to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz has caused huge tension from US President Donald Trump towards UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Iranian President Pezeshkian Wants to Resign– gellerreport.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

Blurb:

Even after one of history’s greatest military triumphs that took out some of the world’s most dangerous architects of terror, the Democrat media machine continues to whing and whine and decry the elimination of murderous madmen and the world state sponsor of terror. It sneers, nitpicks, and all but mourns the fall of a regime that has spread bloodshed for decades. The eradication of Iran’s mullahcracy would be a seismic win for human freedom and global security, relief for millions living under its boot. And still, the party of grievance and its media echo chamber can’t stand it.

Report: Iranian President Pezeshkian Wants to Resign

But there’s no one to whom he can submit that resignation. Perhaps he doesn’t want to go “meet” all his erstwhile terrorist colleagues. Israel Channel 14 is reporting that Iran’s President Pezeshkian wants to resign: @DBalazada reports that President Pezeshkian intended to submit his resignation to the Supreme Leader today following the elimination of Ali Larijani. However, he was informed by the IRGC that a meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei is currently not possible (David).

Pezeshkian was elected president in 2024.

The obvious question: Is there really a new Ayatollah with all his faculties to whom he could resign? More from Channel 14: Pezeshkian is reportedly “exceptionally angry” at the Revolutionary Guards, accusing them of “reckless” conduct. He claims the failure to protect Ali Larijani was not negligence, but a deliberate move to ensure his elimination. The IRGC is reportedly “very pleased” with Larijani’s death, having already prepared an “elimination dossier” on him and his brother. The bottom line – Iran is transitioning into an extremist military regime where Mojtaba Khamenei acts as a mere “puppet” of the Revolutionary Guards, who completely control the country (Channel 14).

Air Force Uses Massive Penetrator Bombs to Smash Iran’s Anti-Ship Missiles Guarding the Strait of Hormuz – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

Blurb:

U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday that it had carried out a series of strikes on fortified Iranian positions designed to control maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

Hours ago, U.S. forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian anti-ship cruise missiles in these sites posed a risk to international shipping in the strait.

To fully understand what this means, let’s take a look at the battlespace.

Iran threatens attacks on Gulf oil infrastructure as Israel says it’s killed another regime official– www.cbc.ca

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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Iran’s state television published a threat on Wednesday saying the Islamic Republic would be attacking oil and gas infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates amid a new wave of strikes on its Persian Gulf neighbours and Israel.

Iran used some of its latest missiles to evade air defences and kill two people near Tel Aviv, as the war in the Middle East showed no signs of slowing.

The threat to oil and gas infrastructure resembled other attack warnings put out by Iran during the war, copying the style used by the Israeli military. Iran specifically threatened Saudi Arabia’s Samref Refinery and its Jubail Petrochemical Complex. It also threatened the U.A.E.’s Al Hasan Gas Field and the petrochemical plants and a refinery in Qatar.

Trump hasn’t made up his mind on sending Americans into Iran to seize nuclear material, sources say– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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President Trump hasn’t made up his mind yet on whether he wants to send American forces into Iran and seize the country’s nuclear material, which would be a very dangerous operation, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.

In private conversations, he has told people close to him: “I have a lot of decisions to make.”

The Pentagon has prepared multiple options for the president as potential next steps in the Iran war.

After the U.S. military strikes on three nuclear sites last summer, the International Atomic Energy Agency, a nuclear watchdog, said it could not account for an estimated 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium Iran had before the strikes.

Mr. Trump believes Iran’s military assets are dramatically degraded — with their navy and air force essentially gone — but he is concerned about Iran’s capability to plant mines, two of the sources told CBS News. He thinks Iranians can gum up oil shipping in the Strait of Hormuz because the mine-laying operations take only three or so people.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said it was unclear if Iran had begun laying mines or not. He told reporters, “We don’t even know if there are any mines there, but if there are, you know, we’d like to have a little help in finding them.”

Trump eases Venezuela sanctions to boost oil supply and limit Iran disruptions – www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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U.S. companies will now be allowed to do business with Venezuela’s state-owned oil and gas firm, as the Trump administration has moved to further ease sanctions on the country as part of its broader effort to ease crude oil supply disruptions caused by the war in Iran.

On Wednesday, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a general license authorizing certain transactions involving Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., more simply known as PdVSA. The license will allow the state-owned fossil fuel company to directly sell Venezuelan oil and gas to U.S. businesses that existed before Jan. 29, 2025, with certain stipulations.

Iran’s Kharg Island Defenses Blasted– sofrep.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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“So far, U.S. strikes have been more robust than even the ‘shock-and-awe,’ bombing campaign of the First and Second Gulf Wars…Trump and the U.S. military are looking for an elusive, knockout punch…Iran’s Kharg Island…part of a potential, U.S. plan for dominance…Taking the island ‘would cut off Iran’s oil lifeline,’ which the regime badly needs…SEAL Team Six and a force of Marines could definitely take the island…(but) even a successful mission against the island would prolong the war.” — Brent M. Eastwood, PhD., for 19FortyFive, March 12, 2026.

On Friday, March 13, 2026, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out a major, precision-bombing raid against Iran’s strategic, Kharg Island, a coral outcropping in the Persian Gulf, 19 miles offshore from Ramleh, Iran. The island is only five miles long by 2.7 miles wide, with a total area of just 7.7 square miles, and a population of about 8,400 people. It provides an absolutely vital seaport for the export of 90 percent of Iran’s oil products, including crude oil, fertilizers, liquid gas, and other products, passing through the terminal on Kharg Island, which is able to load 10 supertankers at once, in addition to storage capacity for up to 30 million barrels of oil.

Trump Makes Bold Maneuver To Boost Flow Of Oil To US– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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President Donald Trump is temporarily suspending a key U.S. shipping rule as the Iran conflict tightens its grip on global energy markets.

The White House confirmed Wednesday that Trump issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, the century-old law requiring goods shipped between U.S. ports to travel on American-built, American-owned vessels crewed mostly by U.S. citizens.

The move is aimed at easing pressure as oil prices surge and supply routes get squeezed.

“President Trump’s decision to issue a 60-day Jones Act waiver is just another step to mitigate the short-term disruptions to the oil market as the U.S. military continues meeting the objectives of Operation Epic Fury,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on X. “This action will allow vital resources like oil, natural gas, fertilizer, and coal to flow freely to U.S. ports for sixty days, and the Administration remains committed to continuing to strengthen our critical supply chains.”

‘Not a one-person regime’: Why Iran’s Islamic Republic is so hard to topple– www.france24.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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Since February 28, Israel and the United States have pounded Iran with targeted air strikes, taking out one powerful Iranian official after another.

The death toll among top regime officials has so far been confirmed at nine, but Israel claims it has reached 11.

Both the United States and Israel have brandished the growing list of dead Iranian elites as evidence of their military success.

On Tuesday, after the Israeli army announced it had “eliminated” Iran’s security chief, Ali Larijani, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar declared that his country had “already won” the war against the Islamic Republic.

Oil prices surge after Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gasfield | US-Israel war on Iran News– www.aljazeera.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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There are fears that a period of elevated oil and gas prices could trigger a damaging wave of global inflation.

Oil prices have risen more than 5 percent following an Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gasfield as the United States-Israeli war on the country continues to escalate.

Brent crude, the international standard, rose 5 percent to $108.66 a barrel on Wednesday, while US West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1, the price barometer for US oil, gained 2.5 percent to $98.65, widening its discount to Brent to the largest since May 2019 on fears of a prolonged conflict.

Pakistan announces ‘temporary pause’ in strikes against Afghanistan at request of several countries– abcnews.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan announced on Wednesday a pause in strikes against Afghanistan, saying the decision was made ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

In a statement, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the pause in strikes on “terrorists and their support infrastructure in Afghanistan” in neighboring Afghanistan will take effect at midnight Wednesday and remain in place until midnight Monday.

He said: “Pakistan offers this gesture in good faith and in keeping with the Islamic norms”.

China, Pakistan Developing Nuclear Missiles That Put US Within Range Intel Chief Tulsi Gabbard– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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US Intelligence Chief Tulsi Gabbard, presenting the intelligence community’s 2026 Annual Threat Assessment, said that Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan are the most significant nuclear threats to the United States.

While testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, Gabbard said, “The intelligence community assesses that Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems, with nuclear and conventional payloads, that put our homeland within range.”

Gabbard said that China and Russia are developing advanced delivery systems that are capable of penetrating or bypassing US missile defences.

“North Korea’s ICBMs can already reach US soil, and it is committed to expanding its nuclear arsenal,” she added.

Iranian intel head who targeted Trump killed in strike | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

Blurb:

“This man had American blood on his hands. His network specifically targeted current and former U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump.”

The Israeli Defense Forces announced on Wednesday that Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, Esmaeil Khatib, has been killed in a targeted strike that took place in Tehran. This comes amid the US-Israeli Operation Epic Fury in the Middle Eastern country.

A senior Israeli official told Fox News that Khatib had previously survived an attack that resulted in the deaths of dozens of Iranian leaders. The official said, “This man had American blood on his hands. His network specifically targeted current and former U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump.”

Israel kills Iran’s spy chief; government seen as ‘largely degraded’– www.latimes.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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WASHINGTON — The Iranian government remains “intact but largely degraded,” National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard told Congress on Wednesday, as Israel continued to hunt down the Islamic Republic’s leadership with an overnight airstrike that killed the nation’s spy chief.

The death of Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib, announced Wednesday by Israel, was the third high-level assassination in roughly 24 hours in a series of strikes that have hollowed out Tehran’s leadership ranks.

Israel ordered strikes Tuesday that killed Iranian security chief Ali Larijani and Basij paramilitary commander Gholamreza Soleimani.

Additional senior Iranian figures could be targeted, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday. “Israel’s policy is clear and unequivocal: No one in Iran has immunity — everyone is a target,” Katz said.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new supreme leader, issued a rare statement Wednesday addressing Larijani’s assassination.

“Undoubtedly, the assassination of such a person shows the extent of his importance and the hatred of the enemies of Islam towards him,” he wrote, according to the Associated Press. “All blood has its price that the criminal murderers of the martyrs must pay soon.”

Dow tumbles more than 750 points to new closing low for 2026, fueled by inflation woes; Fed holds steady on rates – CNBC– news.google.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 1

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  1. Dow tumbles more than 750 points to new closing low for 2026, fueled by inflation woes; Fed holds steady on rates  CNBC
  2. Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq slide as Federal Reserve holds rates steady  Yahoo Finance
  3. Fed Meeting Today: Stocks Fall After Powell Voices Inflation Worries — Live Updates  WSJ
  4. Dow slides nearly 800 points after Fed meeting amid oil inflation  USA Today
  5. U.S. stocks sink on worries about inflation as gold falls below $5,000 per ounce  PBS

Chile, U.S. Plan for Strategic Collaboration on Rare Earths and Other Critical Minerals– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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Late last year, my colleague Elizabeth Stauffer reported that “ultra-conservative” candidate José Antonio Kast had won a landslide victory in Chile’s presidential election.

And by “ultra-conservative,” what is really meant is running for office by promising to take actions that normal people want and need. Kast, a Roman Catholic and lawyer, had a campaign centered on restoring order, cracking down on crime and illegal immigration, and revitalizing Chile’s market-oriented economic model through spending cuts and pro-business reforms.

How is Kast doing at this point? Less than a week after his inauguration, construction of a border wall between Chile and Peru began.

Less than a week after his inauguration, Chile’s arch-conservative president on Monday began overseeing preparations to build a border barrier — part of his flagship campaign promise to block immigrants from crossing illegally.

From Chile’s northern frontier area of Chacalluta, where legions of immigrants have slipped across the Peruvian border into one of the region’s most prosperous nations, Kast vowed to implement what he calls his “Border Shield” plan. Among other steps, it involves the construction of a physical barrier at the nation’s northern border made up of ditches and fences and patrolled by drones and the military forces.

…Kast assured the public that “for all of Chile, this is a milestone.”

“We have taken clear and concrete decisions to close our border to illegal immigration, drug trafficking and organized crime,” he said. “We want to implement this without any delay.”

Trump Claims US ‘Knew Nothing’ About Israeli Strike On Qatari Gas Field– dailycaller.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday night that the U.S. was completely unaware of Israeli strikes on a large gas field jointly owned by Iran and Qatar.

In less than a month, Operation Epic Fury has roiled the global energy market, driving gas prices to their highest levels since 2023 and pushing liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices up more than 50% worldwide. Trump has repeatedly stated his wish to “hold off” on striking infrastructure because “it would take years to rebuild.”

Evidently, according to Trump, Israel has not followed suit.

The Power Problem Behind AI Infrastructure | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

Blurb:

With AI becoming increasingly present in everyday life, the race to build AI infrastructure is only speeding up. At the center of that race is the rapid creation of data centers, with new ones opening on a nearly weekly basis in America. But as more data centers begin to integrate AI infrastructure, the amount of electricity required to operate them is growing at an alarming rate. Data centers are now expected to account for roughly 40 percent of US power demand growth in 2026, and the gap between what we need and what we can build is widening fast.

On today’s episode of Explain to Shane, I am joined by Lynne Kiesling, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she leads the Electricity Technology, Regulation, and Market Design Working Group. Kiesling also directs the Institute for Regulatory Law and Economics at the Northwestern University Center on Law, Business, and Economics, and is a member of the US Department of Energy’s Electricity Advisory Committee. I am also joined by Steve DelBianco, president and CEO of NetChoice and a seasoned expert on internet governance. Their combined expertise on this issue can help us understand how we can power the AI revolution.

Trump threatens to ‘blow up’ world’s largest gas field — RT World News– www.rt.com

pgnewser March 19, 2026 0

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The US president has warned of an attack on the South Pars area if Iran targets Qatar in response to Israeli strikes

The US will “massively blow up” the South Pars gas field – the world’s largest – if Iran continues to strike Qatari energy facilities, President Donald Trump has warned.

Israel launched strikes on Wednesday on Iran’s facilities in the South Pars gas field in the Gulf, which it shares with Qatar. The South Pars spans almost 10,000 sq km and hosts an estimated 1,800 trillion cubic feet of gas. In response, Iran attacked a Qatari LNG facility and has threatened counterstrikes on key energy infrastructure across the Gulf region.