03 World

Special Operations Forces, Marines and Army troops now in Middle East, sources say– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser March 31, 2026 0

Blurb:

Hundreds of U.S. Special Operations Forces, including Navy SEALs and Army Rangers, are now in the Middle East, as well as thousands of Marines and Army paratroopers, according to sources familiar with the deployments.

The sources said having the forces in the region gives President Trump military options in Iran, including operations that could target opening the Strait of Hormuz, take oil from Kharg Island or seize Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.

The New York Times first reported the forces had arrived in the region.

Oil-thirsty Asian nations seek Russian crude as Iran war strains supplies– abcnews.com

pgnewser March 31, 2026 0

Blurb:

BANGKOK — Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts amid the month-old war by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which has choked off roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Much of the oil from the mostly shut Strait of Hormuz was headed for Asia, hit hardest by recent energy shocks. Over the weekend, Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered the conflict, further threatening shipping.

Attack on Michigan synagogue was Hezbollah-inspired ‘act of terrorism,’ FBI says– japantoday.com

pgnewser March 31, 2026 0

Blurb:

The FBI said on Monday that an attack on the largest Jewish temple in ‌Michigan earlier this month was an “act of terrorism” inspired by Hezbollah.

Ayman Ghazali, a 41-year-old man who was born in Lebanon and became a U.S. ‌citizen in 2016, killed himself during the March ⁠12 attack, when he crashed his truck ⁠into the Temple ⁠of Israel synagogue before opening fire on security guards ‌and causing an explosion using fireworks, said Jennifer Runyan, the special agent in ⁠charge of the ⁠Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit field office.

Iran's foreign minister calls on Saudis to 'eject' US forces– thehill.com

pgnewser March 31, 2026 0

Blurb:

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Monday that the Saudi Arabian government should “eject” U.S. troops from its country, three days after the Iranian military attacked a U.S. air base in Saudi Arabia. “Iran respects the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and considers it a brotherly nation,” Araghchi wrote on the social platform X. “Our operations…
from thehill.com

Gang Attacks Leave Dozens Dead In Haiti Before International Forces Arrive, Rights Group Says– dailycaller.com

pgnewser March 31, 2026 0

Blurb:

At least 70 people are dead after Haitian gangs allegedly attacked an agricultural district of the Caribbean nation as international forces prepare to respond.

Gang members marched into the regions of Jean-Denis and Pont-Sondé, located on the west of the country, before shooting civilians and burning residences from Sunday to Monday, CNN reported, citing rights groups. The attacks have left at least 70 people killed and more than 50 homes burned down, and have displaced nearly 6,000 people, according to the rights organization Defenseurs Plus.

AI Job Panic Still Outruns the Evidence | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser March 31, 2026 1

Blurb:

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both Democrats, have proposed pausing new data center construction until federal safeguards for workers, consumers, and the environment are in place. Given how far Congress is from passing comprehensive AI legislation, the proposal could stall new projects for years. It reflects deep concern about AI’s economic and social impact—but rests on an ASAP sense of urgency that outpaces the best current evidence on how quickly those effects are materializing.

What do we know right now about the job impacts of the emerging AI revolution, given the rising level of concern in Washington? Some recent analysis for consideration on Capitol Hill:

  • Challenger, Gray & Christmas tracked more than 1.2 million layoffs in 2025. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing Forrester, fewer than 100,000 were primarily attributable to AI-driven efficiency gains. Even that likely overstates the impact. Companies have an incentive to blame AI for cuts because it signals technological sophistication and can lift their stock prices. From the piece: “The most likely reasons for head-count reductions remain the same as ever: slower sales, shifting priorities and previous overhiring.”

International observers urge violence-free elections after clashes at Serbia vote– abcnews.com

pgnewser March 31, 2026 0

Blurb:

BELGRADE, Serbia — International observers at a local election in European Union candidate Serbia said Monday they had witnessed violence and irregularities during the vote.

“Yesterday, the delegation observed procedures inside polling stations often largely in line with provisions but was alarmed by the situation outside the premises,” the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe said in a statement.

“Congress observers witnessed acts of violence … and in all but one of the municipalities visited, saw heated arguments and the threatening presence of large groups of people, often unidentified and sometimes masked,” they added.

IRGC navy chief Alireza Tangsiri killed in ‘precise and lethal operation,’ Israel says– www.euronews.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Israel said on Thursday that it had killed Commodore Alireza Tangsiri, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN).

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said Tangsiri had been killed in a “precise and lethal operation” along with other senior naval commanders in an overnight strike.

“The man who was directly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz to shipping was blown up and eliminated,” Katz claimed.

Court Orders Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to Pay $375 Million in Damages for Failing to Protect Children– slaynews.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

A New Mexico jury has ordered Mark Zuckerberg’s company Meta to pay $375 million in civil damages after finding the tech giant violated state law by failing to protect children from predators on its platforms.

The verdict, delivered after a civil trial in Santa Fe, marks a significant legal setback for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

Russian Energy Minister Confirms Oil Shipments to Cuba– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev confirmed Wednesday that Russia is sending “humanitarian” shipments of oil to Cuba after ship-tracking data earlier appeared to show that at least one tanker had unloaded Russian crude in Havana.

Cuba, which imports around 60% of its energy supply, previously relied on oil sold by Venezuela. Those shipments ended after then-President Nicolás Maduro was captured in a U.S. military raid.

Nepal’s newly elected parliament is sworn in months after a youth-led revolt– abcnews.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal’s newly elected members of parliament were sworn in Thursday with nearly two-thirds of them from a political party that is less than four years old.

The 275 members of the House of Representatives, the powerful lower chamber of parliament, will be in their positions for the next five years.

The election — the country’s first since last year’s youth-led revolt — was won by the Rastriya Swatantra Party, or RSP, led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah.

Iconic Actor John Cleese Warns Against Islamic Takeover in Britain– www.cbn.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

English actor and screenwriter John Cleese is coming out in defense of Britain’s Christian heritage.

The famous “Monty Python” writer posted to X this month that Great Britain has been impacted by “Christian values” at the “deepest level” and warned against Muslim influence in the U.K.

“Despite the many mistakes made by churches,” Cleese wrote, “for centuries, British people have been influenced by Christ’s teaching. If these values are replaced by Islamic ones, this will not be Britain any more.”