The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces state that claims made about the “encirclement” of Ukrainian units the Kursk Oblast of Western Russia are untrue, and “created by the Russians for political purposes and pressure on Ukraine and its partners.” Adding that the situation has remained largely unchanged over the last day, with Units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine having successfully regrouped, withdrawn to more advantageous defensive positions, or are executing their assigned tasks within the Kursk Oblast.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered the closure of the Office of Net Assessment (ONA), which was created in 1973 by President Richard Nixon to serve as an “internal think-tank” within the Pentagon tasked with assisting senior defense and military officials with planning for future conflicts with peer-adversaries, most recently China. The ONA, which only accounts for roughly $10-20 million in defense spending per year, was shuttered by the Pentagon on Thursday, suggesting that the office would be restructured and then possibly reopened in the future with a new focus on the country’s “most pressing national security challenges.” Most recently, the ONA was focused on planning U.S. strategy for a full-scale war in China, which some officials have suggested could be coming by 2027, with the office having established a concept called Air-Sea Battle, which envisioned an initial “blinding campaign” by U.S. Air Force stealth bombers and submarines that would knock out China’s long-range surveillance radars followed by a larger naval assault by the Army, Navy and Marine Corps.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool is “no longer welcome in our great country.” Appearing to have declared him Persona Non Grata (PNG), which requires him to immediately leave the United States, following several statements Rasool made recently critical of U.S. President Trump and his Administration, for which Rubio stated in a post on X, “Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates President Donald Trump.”

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced its forces, in coordination with Iraqi Intelligence and Security Forces, carried out a precision-airstrike on the Al Anbar Governorate of Western Iraq on March 13th, which resulted in the elimination of ISIS’ Chief of Global Operations and the Delegated Committee Emir, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, also known as Abu Khadijah, alongside another ISIS terrorist.

Khadijah, as Emir of ISIS operated as second-in-command of the terrorist organization, maintaining responsibility for operations, logistics, and planning conducted by ISIS globally, while directing a significant portion of finance for the group’s global organization.

Following the airstrike, CENTCOM and Iraqi forces arrived at the strike site, where both terrorists were found dead equipped with “explosive vests” and armed with several weapons. Abu Khadijah was confirmed eliminated with DNA found at the site, matched with DNA recovered during a previous operation in which he escaped.

The Commander of U.S. Central Command, General Michael E. Kurilla stated regarding the strike and its results, “Abu Khadijah was one of the most important ISIS members in the entire global ISIS organization. We will continue to kill terrorists and dismantle their organizations that threaten our homeland and U.S., allied and partner personnel in the region and beyond.”

U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s statement following Thursday’s airstrike in Western Iraq, which resulted in the elimination of ISIS’ Chief of Global Operations and the Delegated Committee Emir, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, also known as Abu Khadijah.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that European defense and military leaders will meet in London on Thursday, as planning for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine enter an “operational phase” with over a dozen countries having agreed to participate in such a mission.

Canada appears to have now joined Portugal and some other countries in Europe, reconsidering their future or ongoing purchase of U.S-produced F-35 Multirole Strike Fighters due to continually aggressive rhetoric towards allies by the Trump Administration. Canadian Minister of National Defense Bill Blair told CBC News yesterday, that he had spoken with newly appointed Prime Minister Mark Carney and that they were now considering alternatives to the F-35, stating, “Canada is actively looking at potential alternatives to the U.S-built F-35 stealth fighter and will hold conversations with rival aircraft makers.” Further adding, “The prime minister has asked me to go and examine those things and have discussions with other sources, particularly where there may be opportunities to assemble those fighter jets in Canada.”

However unlike Portugal, Canada is a partner in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, having already agreed in 2023 to a deal with the U.S. Government and Lockheed Martin to purchase 88 F-35As for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) at a price of roughly $13 billion; with 16 F-35s having been paid for and expected to be delivered in 2026.

Reports of strikes on the Yemeni Capital of Sanaa in Houthi-controlled Western Yemen.

According to the New York Times, U.S. President Donald J. Trump ordered the strikes earlier targeting Houthi radars, air defenses, missile systems, and drone sites.

Israeli media has ruled out the possibility of Israeli involvement in the strikes on the Houthi capital of Sana’a, Yemen, compounding on reports from the New York Times that the strikes were carried out by U.S. CENTCOM forces.