📹 Airborne Troops' Grad MLRS crews destroy Ukrainian facilities and camouflaged positions (video courtesy of Russian MoD)

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🇮🇷 No Iranians were killed as a result of a US strike in Syria which hit a grain center and a rural development center in the province of Deir ez-Zor, rather than Iranian military positions, the regional broadcaster reported on Friday, citing sources in Syria.

▪️ A military source in Syria believes local groups could retaliate against US strikes, the broadcaster added.

📍 Earlier in the day, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the US Armed Forces carried out airstrikes on facilities of groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) after an Iranian drone attacked a coalition base in northeast Syria, killing one US contractor.

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❗️Latest statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

▪️ The investigation of the terrorist attack on the Nord Streams should be transparent;

▪️ The decision on the presence of Putin at the BRICS summit in South Africa has not yet been adopted;

▪️ US attempts to intervene in the internal affairs of Belarus require attention, but the Kremlin is sure that Belarus can prevent it;

▪️ Russia knows about the gross pressure of the West on countries that have not adopted the sanctions.

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US, Canada Reportedly Clinch Deal to Close Illegal Border Crossing Amid Surge in Migration

Quebec Premier Francois Legault had repeatedly requested that Canada’s federal government close the illegal crossing, arguing his province cannot sustain the increasing irregular flows of migrants coming through.

Canada has clinched a deal with the US on closing the illegal border crossing of Roxham Road between New York State and the province of Quebec, a Canadian news network reported.

The deal is set to be formally announced during a meeting between US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa later on Friday.

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❗️ Latest Russian MoD statements on depleted uranium munitions:

▪️ Uranium compounds that penetrate the soil remain dangerous for people, animals and agricultural crops for a long time;

▪️ After the use of shells with depleted uranium in Ukraine, radioactive substances will be carried by cars to the surrounding area;

▪️ NATO soldiers also fell victim to the use of depleted uranium munitions in Iraq and Yugoslavia;

▪️ The danger of depleted uranium is that uranium dust accumulating in the kidneys, bone tissue and liver leads to a change in internal organs;

▪️ In Yugoslavia, NATO fired about 40,000 shells with more than 15,000 tons of depleted uranium. The United States used at least 300 tons of depleted uranium in Iraq;

▪️ In the former Yugoslavia, the incidence of cancer after hits by uranium munitions increased by 25%;

▪️ The West is well aware of the danger of depleted uranium ammunition;

▪️ As a result of the use of uranium ammunition in Iraq in 2005, the incidence of cancer there increased 40 times, to 1,600 per 100,000 population;

▪️ Only NATO countries have used depleted uranium ammunition in armed conflicts;

▪️ The particular cynicism of London's plans for uranium ammunition is that they were announced on the eve of the anniversary of the bombing of Yugoslavia.

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From ByteDance to Cambridge Analytica: Six Takeaways From TikTok CEO’s Testimony to Congress

Members of the US House Energy and Commerce Committee have held a meeting to hear testimony from TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew, whom lawmakers questioned about the platform’s data privacy practices and alleged ties to the Chinese government. Here are six takeaways from the hearing.

The testimony came as Congress and the Biden administration weigh potential measures to address Washington’s allegations of national security-related concerns about TikTok, including a possible full ban. The short video-sharing app has already been restricted by several entities within the US government.

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🇱🇧 In Lebanon, disgruntled depositors rioted outside the Central Bank.

These actions were prompted by the closure of banks and the appreciation of the dollar against the national currency, amid the economic and political crises in Lebanon.

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❗️Russian MoD briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️ The activity of units, air strikes and artillery fire of the Russian troops defeated the troops and equipment of the enemy in the Kharkov region and the LPR. Up to 60 Ukrainian servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, two vehicles, a D-20 howitzer, and two Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery mounts were destroyed.

▪️ Air strikes, artillery fire and heavy flamethrower systems from a group of Russian troops hit enemy units in the LPR and DPR. During the day, up to 125 Ukrainian servicemen, three armored combat vehicles, as well as one Grad MLRS combat vehicle were destroyed in this area.

▪️ Near Donetsk, as a result of the activity of the Russian Armed forces units, air strikes and artillery fire, more than 380 Ukrainian military personnel, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, ten vehicles, a pickup truck, and two Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers were destroyed.

▪️ In the South Donetsk and Zaporozhye regions, strikes by operational-tactical and army aviation, and artillery fire of the Russian Armed Forces defeated the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the DPR.

▪️ Up to 40 Ukrainian servicemen, two vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, and one US-made M777 artillery system were destroyed in a day in Kharkov region.

▪️ Russia’s Operational-tactical and Army aviation and missile forces defeated 87 artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at firing positions, servicemen and equipment in 109 districts.

▪️ A hangar with unmanned aerial vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed near a village in the Odessa region.

▪️ Air defense systems intercepted three rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system over the day.

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The Great Cull: Twitter to Kill Off 'Legacy' Checkmarks Starting April

Multi-billionaire Elon Musk dismissed Twitter’s previous verification system, which allowed numerous perks and privileges to unpaid "blue checkmarks" as "corrupt" and is actively pushing the ailing company toward subnoscription-based revenues.

Twitter will embark on the journey toward eliminating so-called legacy verified marks from its user base next week, as the current strategy only grants this special status to members of approved organizations and paid subscribers.

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🇪🇪🇷🇺 Moscow will Respond to Expulsion of Another Russian Envoy from Estonia.

Estonia has declared another Russian diplomat persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country by March 29, the Estonian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

💬 "Today, on March 24, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the charge d'affaires of the Russian Embassy and submitted a diplomatic note declaring a diplomatic officer of the embassy persona non grata. The activities of the person in question violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, [this person] must leave Estonia by March 29," the ministry said in a statement.

▪️ The Russian diplomat is accused of participating in "undermining security" and the "constitutional order" in Estonia, allegedly by "spreading propaganda", the statement read.

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🇷🇺 Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev spoke about global changes taking place in the world today.

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India's Key Opposition Figure Rahul Gandhi Disqualified as MP After Defamation Conviction

⚡️🇮🇳 Rahul Gandhi, the former Congress chief, was sentenced this week to two years in prison by Gujarat's Surat District Court over the controversial remarks made during the 2019 election campaign.

Details 👉

Canada Wants to Project Itself as a Pacific Power Through a New Anti-Chinese Framework: Scholar

Tensions in East Asia and the Pacific may soon reach a whole new level as Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has reportedly pitched an idea of a new anti-Chinese security framework which, along with his country, would include the United States, South Korea and Japan.

Joseph Camilleri, emeritus professor at La Trobe University in Melbourne and one of Australia's leading international relations scholars, weighed in on this issue, explaining to Sputnik what goals the Canadian leadership is likely pursuing with this proposal.

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Congress Hearings Over TikTok Social Media App are 'Anti-China Witch-Hunt'

Social media app TikTok has been banned on official cellphones on both sides of the Atlantic, but now faces US legislation that could see it shut down altogether. Technologist Chris Garaffa, a co-host of the Covert Action Bulletin podcast, pointed out the hypocrisy of those moves.

The US Congress probe into mobile phone social media app TikTok is just a "witch-hunt" against its Chinese owner, the technology expert said.

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Ted Rall, political cartoonist and syndicated columnist, joins us to discuss Macron's bill to raise the retirement age which has caused massive strikes in France

🎧Listen to more of Rall’s analysis in our podcast The Critical Hour

'Lethal Cruise': What is the New Underwater Drone North Korea Claims to Have Tested?

North Korea claimed on Friday that it tested a new underwater drone that is purportedly capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that could create a "radioactive tsunami" towards the destination of its user's choosing.

So what is this drone all about and is it really capable of spawning a massive radioactive tidal wave?

👉Find out here

🇺🇸 Former US President Trump warned on Friday of potential "death and destruction" should he be indicted by the Manhattan district attorney’s office. The possible arrest of Trump comes for what he says are false charges regarding his alleged involvement in paying hush money to adult movie star Stormy Daniels.

💬 "What kind of person can charge another person, in this case a former president of the United States... with a Crime, when it is known by all that no crime has been committed [and] also known that potential death [and] destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our country?" Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social.

📌 Prosecutors had offered Trump the opportunity to testify before a grand jury, which is typically extended to potential defendants when an indictment is imminent. Trump has refused, denying the charges and saying the entire case is a political witch hunt complete with gross prosecutorial overreach.

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Technologist and co-host of the CovertAction Magazine podcast Chris Garaffa joins us to discuss the testimony of TikTok CEO Shou Chew before Congress and how this relates to Washington’s demonization of China

🎧Listen to more of Garaffa’s analysis in our podcast Political Misfits

Kiev May Start Counteroffensive in Artemovsk in 'Near Future', Russian Experts Warn

With the Russian special military operation in Ukraine underway, commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Alexander Syrsky has claimed that Kiev could soon launch a counteroffensive in the town of Artemovsk where heavy fighting shows no signs of abating.

He wrote in his Telegram channel that his troops "will take advantage of this opportunity [of counteroffensive] very soon."

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