03 World
FBI Opens Office in Ecuador as U.S. Strengthens Security Relations The Presidential Prayer Team
from news.google.com
High-profile attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz have epitomized Iran’s hit-and-run response to superior American and Israeli firepower, but analysts warn that Tehran’s asymmetric strategy isn’t limited to guns, bombs or the physical geography of the battlefield.
from www.washingtontimes.com
The concept of freedom of the press isn’t ruined by criticism of the press. But when liberal TV hosts roll out their lectures, they sound a little like the president they routinely attack. Any criticism of their work must be Fake News.
MS NOW host Ana Cabrera expressed indignation on March 16 after FCC chairman Brendan Carr tweeted that broadcast stations should watch what they’re airing on the war in Iran: “Freedom of the press has been such a huge, huge underpinning of the democracy in this country, right? In order to hold people in power accountable to be that government watchdog.” But Carr is “squashing” press freedom with a simple tweet.
NPR media reporter David Folkenflik lamented Carr wanted to “get in the weeds of what’s said,” but allowed that “you can argue there are good principles involved about wanting to make sure certain kinds of coverage is fair to all sides” – yet the government shouldn’t interfere.
MS NOW host Ana Cabrera freaked out at Brendan Carr tweets, arguing press freedom is a huge underpinning of democracy. He’s quashing it! NPR’s David Folkenflik says Carr’s FCC wants to “get in the weeds of what’s said.” Yes! Much of what they say would fit the weeds metaphor. pic.twitter.com/7GATuVWf8X
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) March 17, 2026
Dr Dorsey pointed out that there may also be a hardening of the lines on both sides of the war following the security chief’s death.
“You could see Israel, the United States, seeing this as a major body blow that sets the stage for trying to finish Iran off,” he said.
Already, Iran has retaliated for the assassination of its security chief, targeting Tel Aviv with missiles carrying cluster warheads, which are difficult to intercept.
Larijani’s death is also likely to lend more power to the more radical leaders and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said Dr Mehran Kamrava, professor of government at Georgetown University Qatar.
“As an insider with deep connections within the Islamic Republic’s deep state and with impeccable revolutionary credentials, he would have been indispensable to any decision to end the current war,” Dr Kamrava told CNA.
“His death is likely to strengthen the hands of President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araghchi on the one hand, and the more radical, less compromising commanders of the Revolutionary Guards on the other.”
Japanese politicians hype up China’s defense budget to justify Japan’s hidden military expansion ambitions, says PLA spokesman China Daily
from news.google.com
UN says Israel may be committing war crimes in Lebanon as air and ground campaign intensifies thenationalnews.com
from news.google.com
LIMA, Peru — Peru’s prime minister resigned Tuesday ahead of a mandatory vote in the nation’s Congress, where she needed a majority of legislators to confirm her recent appointment.
Denisse Miralles was appointed as prime minister in late February, after Interim President José Jerí was removed from his post following corruption allegations and replaced by congressman Jose María Balcázar.
In Peru, prime ministers coordinate the implementation of government policies, but they are not elected into office and do not lead the executive branch, which is headed by the president.
Miralles, the former economy minister under Jerí, did not say why she resigned. However, she informed journalists that she was uncertain she could secure the congressional majority required for her confirmation on Wednesday.
Iraq says targeting US Embassy in Baghdad is ‘terrorist assault’ on country’s sovereignty Anadolu Ajansı
from news.google.com
China: Cybercrime Bill Entrenches Censorship, Surveillance Human Rights Watch
from news.google.com
Chile National Prosecutor Ángel Valencia on Monday requested U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to interrogate Nicolás Maduro about the assassination of exiled Venezuelan dissident Ronald Ojeda.
Valencia traveled to Washington and had a work meeting with Bondi, seeking to strengthen security cooperation between Chile and the United States as well as cooperation in the fight against organized crime. The Chilean Public Prosecutor’s Office detailed that the first topic addressed by Valencia and Bondi was the prosecution of money laundering and the protection of the two countries’ financial systems.
The second subject, Valencia said, was to continue strengthening Chile’s cooperation with the United States regarding the pursuit of Tren de Aragua (TdA) and the “Aragua Pirates,” a TdA faction operating in Chile, as well as prosecution of crimes committed by “associated gangs in our country, such as the murder of Lieutenant Ronald Ojeda.”
China steps up repression of Uyghurs, other religious minorities Muslim Network TV
from news.google.com
I recently reported that there was a sudden lull in Chinese jet incursions into Taiwan’s airspace, which had a variety of possible explanations.
Whatever inspired the brief break has ended, and the Chinese have returned with quite the display.
The ministry detected 26 Chinese military aircraft around the island on Saturday, with 16 of them entering its northern, central and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone. Seven naval ships were spotted around the island, it reported.
The increased number of aircraft came after the ministry reported a fall that left analysts scratching their heads about what China’s military may be up to.
Taiwan didn’t report any Chinese military planes that went beyond the median line and entered the zone for a week from Feb. 27 to March 5. After two were detected on March 6, the next four days had none. Such flights resumed in small numbers between Wednesday and Friday.
🚨🇨🇳🇹🇼 FLASH | La Chine a encerclé Taïwan avec 26 avions de combat et 7 navires de guerre. pic.twitter.com/i57dhsTvoN
— Novia News (@NoviaNewsGroup) March 16, 2026
Bank of America has tentatively settled a lawsuit claiming it ignored suspicious financial transactions involving Jeffrey Epstein while he was sexually abusing hundreds of girls and women.
The proposed settlement was revealed in filings in Manhattan federal court on Monday, the same day that billionaire financier Leon Black was originally scheduled to be deposed in the case. Terms were not disclosed. The bank declined to comment through a spokesperson.
Though not a defendant, Black was recently described as a “critical witness” in the case by Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer for Epstein victims.
During a hearing last week, a lawyer for Black persuaded Judge Jed S. Rakoff to postpone Black’s deposition for 10 days on the grounds that the parties were close to settling. The lawyer, Michael Carlinsky, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
As Trump ramps up pressure on Cuba, China has ‘very limited options’ South China Morning Post
from news.google.com
Israel’s defense minister said Wednesday that the country would escalate its war against Iran, and its parallel assault on the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon, clearly signaling an escalation of the conflict in the heart of the Middle East.
“The intensity of attacks in Iran is increasing. We are in the midst of achieving a decisive outcome,” Katz said in his video message, shared on social media.
“Israel’s policy is clear and unequivocal: no one in Iran has immunity, and all are targeted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have authorized the IDF to neutralize any senior Iranian official for whom an intelligence and operational opportunity arises, without the need for additional approval. We will continue to intercept and hunt them all,” he said.
“Significant surprises are also expected throughout today across all arenas, which will escalate the war we are conducting against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
Trump was informed most ‘allies’ won’t help with Hormoz. Says US doesn’t need help anyway investingLive
from news.google.com
Starmer says ‘we can’t lose focus’ on Ukraine amid Iran war during Zelenskyy visit– www.euronews.com
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Tuesday for talks on peace and sanctions on Russia.
The meeting comes at a time when the Iran war has revived Russia’s ailing economy through increased oil revenue, robbed US-brokered talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine of momentum and could soon limit Kyiv’s access to vital Western air defence systems that are needed in the Middle East.
“We can’t lose focus on what’s going on in Ukraine and the need for our support,” Starmer said alongside Zelenskyy for talks at 10 Downing Street, which NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also attended.
“Putin can’t be the one who benefits from the conflict in Iran, whether that’s oil prices or the dropping of sanctions,” Starmer said. “It is really important we keep our resolve in relation to supporting Ukraine, doing everything we can to weaken the hand of Putin.”
The human cost of Israel and America’s air campaign on Iran is mounting, nowhere more painfully felt than in the children’s wards of its hospitals.
In the intensive care unit of one, four-year-old Anita lies in a coma with severe head injuries a few days after being pulled out of the rubble of her home when it was destroyed in an air strike.
Her mother Zeiba was in torment, clutching her tiny hand and begging her to wake up. Doctors say she almost certainly never will.
The Islamic Republic has unveiled a new and dangerous weapon: the Sejjil missile. It can be set up and launched with minimal delay, making it harder to hit with preemptive strikes. Iran has only a few hundred, but they are produced indigenously. Fortunately, there is a simple way to stop production for good.
The Sejjil’s menace stems from its design for speed in deployment. Unlike Iran’s older liquid-fueled Shahab missiles, which take hours to prepare, leaving them vulnerable to preemptive strikes, the Sejjil runs on solid propellant. That means it is ready to be fired from road-mobile launchers in mere minutes, vanishing before countermeasures kick in.
Iranian state media claim it also has mid-descent maneuverability that allows it to dodge interceptors—they call it the “dancing missile”—but that has not been confirmed. There is no sign of side thrusters or similar features seen on other Iranian missiles that would make maneuvering possible.
Iran regime hides in bunkers as civilians left exposed without adequate bomb shelters or sirens 930 WFMD Free Talk
from news.google.com
A fresh wave of attacks on the United Arab Emirates’ energy infrastructure has ramped up concerns over prolonged supply disruptions amid the Iran war.
It comes after the world’s largest ultra-sour gas development was struck by a drone, a fire broke out in the UAE’s Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, and another tanker was hit near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The UAE also reopened its airspace on Tuesday after a brief shutdown following a fire caused by an Iranian drone attack hitting a fuel tank.
Operations at the UAE’s massive Shah gas field remained suspended on Tuesday following a drone attack, which caused a fire at the facility, according to Abu Dhabi authorities. No injuries were reported from the incident.
The Shah gas field is located about 110 miles southwest of Abu Dhabi and is operated by a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and Occidental Petroleum Corp. It has the capacity to produce 1.28 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day and 4.2 million tons of sulfur per year.
US military drops 5,000-pound deep-penetrator bombs near Strait of Hormuz The Hill
from news.google.com
‘Chinese-origin weapons used’: Brahma Chellaney calls Pakistan’s Kabul hospital bombing a potential war crime Business Today
from news.google.com
Ecuador deploys 75,000 soldiers to crime-ridden provinces under nightly curfew abcnews.com
from news.google.com
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad came under a heavy barrage of rockets and drones early Tuesday in what Iraqi security sources described as one of the most intense attacks on the capital since the war erupted.
Witnesses said two drones were shot down by the embassy’s C-RAM defense system, while a third struck a building inside the embassy compound, sparking a fire and sending thick smoke into the sky.
Video seen by CNN showed air defenses intercepting what appeared to be a drone over Baghdad. The clip captured the moment it was hit, followed by a blast about 1,000 meters from the embassy compound.
“There it is, there it is,” a voice is heard saying in the video as the drone was intercepted.
Internet Erupts As Possibly Dead New Supreme Leader of Iran Was Maybe LGBTQ – RedState– redstate.com
The irony is thicker than the haze described by the band Deep Purple in their classic hard-rocking tune, Smoke on the Water. The new Supreme leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei (son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) — who nobody is sure is even alive or dead — may be (have been?) gay.
This, in one of the most anti-LGBTQ regimes in the world — one that is reportedly prone to hanging homosexuals in the public square. Not surprisingly, the internet went wild with memes and jokes.
Ayatollah releases statement about rumors that he is gay. 😁 pic.twitter.com/XP69iKb8zq
— Ally (@AllyJKiss) March 16, 2026
Although the conflict with Iran is anything but funny, sometimes humor best exposes the absurdity of the backward regime and its murderous leaders (the ones who are still left breathing, anyway).