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.”

Late 🥹

Sources to Al Jazeera: Hamas responded to the mediators’ proposal after making amendments to it and handed it over to them today

A clearer image has now been posted on Weibo, of China’s “Mulberry Harbors” connected during a recent amphibious-landing exercise by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) on the coast of the South China Sea, which have likely been tailor-made for a future invasion of Taiwan.

Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Stefanishyna announced that Ukraine's EU membership in 2030 is effectively confirmed. The credibility and seriousness of this intention are demonstrated by the fact that the EU budget for 2026–2032/33 is being prepared with Ukraine's potential membership in mind.

Mark Rubio stated that Washington remains cautiously optimistic about ongoing talks with Moscow regarding the Ukrainian settlement. The U.S. will assess Russia's position this weekend, with Special Envoy Whitcoff set to report on the outcome of discussions in Moscow.

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.

The mineral agreement is finalized and negotiations have concluded. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Stefanishyna said that they are now awaiting approval from the United States. The text has been agreed upon without any changes. Ukraine is ready to sign at any time, while the U.S. is still determining the terms and timing.

Today, passengers aboard the train to Tuapse in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, marveled at a breathtaking, awe-inspiring landscape unfolding beyond their windows, thanks to Ukrainian UAVs. Video show flames raging from reservoirs at the Tuapse Oil Refinery. https://video.nostr.build/852fa04424c53e200e832ee282348b1f7f3953b9d80bc89cf2389d86203fb6d7.mp4

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.

Through his social media, President Trump stated that he had very good and productive discussions with Vladimir Putin yesterday. He mentioned that although Russia rejected the proposed ceasefire as presented, further discussions could lead to the end of the war. Trump also urged Putin to spare “thousands of completely surrounded Ukrainian troops.”

Trump is likely referring to Kursk. According to the Ukrainian government, its troops are retreating from Kursk, and there is no mention of thousands of troops being completely surrounded. However, Trump certainly has access to much more accurate information. nostr:note1ga3tz3qxwahe2ndfx5wuwkhdwafuqdwavdhh0hf3nq3vnwgl49fqhmgc5y

Following the Trump Administrations pulling of $400 million in federal grants and contracts from Columbia University in New York City last week, after over a year of antisemitic attacks and demonstrations in support of terrorists organizations like Hamas on its campus. Columbia sent out a campus-wide email earlier today, announcing that its Judicial Board had completed all student hearings related to last year occupation of Hamilton Hall during the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, which eventually required intervention by the New York City Police Department (NYPD), who stormed the building and campus making hundreds of arrests. The Judicial Board levied punishments against both current and former students of Columbia, ranging from multiyear suspensions and expulsions to temporary degree revocations; though the list of students who received punishments was not released alongside the statement.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), in coordination with the Departments of Education and Health & Human Services, issued a letter to the Columbia University Administration today outlining the necessary actions to reinstate federal funding. These requirements must be met by Wednesday, March 20th, and include:

• Enforcing existing disciplinary policies

• Affirming the president’s authority in disciplinary matters

• Implementing and enforcing time, place, and manner regulations

• Instituting a ban on masks

• Submitting a plan to ensure accountability for all student groups

• Establishing and adopting a formal definition of antisemitism

• Strengthening and empowering internal law enforcement

• Placing the MESAAS Department under academic receivership

• Developing and presenting a plan for comprehensive admissions reform

Appears to have been N885NN, a 13 year old Boeing 737-800 that diverted from Colorado Springs.

An American Airlines 737 caught fire at Denver International Airport this afternoon, forcing passengers onboard to evacuate. https://video.nostr.build/03fb06b7199a66fefadaa98c390f2da65200d843e2d82b68613464159d760da4.mp4 https://video.nostr.build/9163fb7a59827b199919ca9e57238afa5d8d20c5fbd2e49006b5a0f4de662276.mp4 https://video.nostr.build/c3d6024f2cf32ae61e49bac3ec7b0b8c217003491e71a3756704c188b8920bf4.mp4

American Airlines Flight 1006, a Boeing 737-800 flying from Colorado Springs to Dallas, suffered a major ground fire after diverting to Denver this afternoon. https://video.nostr.build/442e7976a09f57ffc99a631464f6d0ac53745714fbf21fce07e24db22c77bde2.mp4

While meeting today in the Oval Office with the Secretary-General of NATO, Mark Rutte, U.S. President Trump said that he thinks the annexation of Greenland will happen, stating, “You know Mark we need that for international security, not just security, international.” The Secretary-General then appears to laugh about it while mentioning the Arctic, before saying, “I don’t want to drag NATO into that.”

https://video.nostr.build/81a5e800dfa08d631e113398ef2500d631dc50a8f4e0f2f7db363f0c2b8d47eb.mp4

According to Reuters, the United States is preparing to resume the shipment of Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) to Ukraine, following recent upgrades to better counter jamming systems used by the Russian Armed Forces. As they have already arrived in Europe, the upgraded-variant of the GLSDBs could arrive on the battlefield in Eastern Ukraine in the coming days, able to be launched from both the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) states that it carried out a precision-airstrike on the Beqaa Valley of Eastern Lebanon within the last few minutes, which targeted a Hezbollah “strategic weapons” manufacturing and storage facility in the village of Yanta near the Syrian-Lebanon Border.

Speaking to the press with NATO Secretary-General Rutte, Trump says he has been pressuring NATO members to increase military spending since his 1st term in office in 2016.

He says Poland was among the few over 2% then, which impressed him

Poland will spend 5% in 2026 https://video.nostr.build/616c5fd1fc238927e50ce4cc743ad749000a63674a5916a28ed94c75011fd4de.mp4