Russian forces have seized control of the townlet of Mirnoye in Zaporizhzhia from Ukrainian forces. Moscow claimed the town was "liberated through successful offensive maneuvers." Employing a barrage of rockets, Russia expelled Ukrainian forces from Mirnoye, with particular praise for units of the Vostok group of forces. Mirnoye's strategic location at a crucial juncture is expected to facilitate further advances for Moscow's soldiers on the battlefield.
videosOn Sunday, thousands gathered for the symbolic 'Noon Against Putin' protests in anticipation of Vladimir Putin's anticipated reelection as President. Navalny's allies shared images of long queues forming for the protests. Due to Russia's extensive territory, it's challenging to gauge the exact turnout of protest voters. Navalny had endorsed the 'Noon Against Putin' initiative in a social media post shortly before his passing. Despite the demonstrations, Putin consolidated his power with a significant victory in the election. Many of Navalny's political associates reside outside Russia, with the Kremlin portraying them as radical extremists seeking to disrupt the nation.
Israel strategically chose Al-Zahra area to establish a separation line between northern and central Gaza. Initially perceived as vulnerable, Al-Zahra became an entry point for Israeli forces into central Gaza. After 162 days of war, conflict resurfaces in Al-Zahra city, challenging Israel's initial assumptions. Al-Qassam fighters, captured in a video, demonstrate their capability to strike Israeli tanks effectively. The video shows the resilience and adaptability of Gaza's resistance despite the prolonged conflict.
Nasrallah in a televised speech for Ramadan said, “Netanyahu has failed to achieve any of the war’s targets, even Rafah operation will not offer you an image of victory. Israel is short of soldiers and generals, is recruiting ultra-Orthodox Jews for army. Israel has admitted its soldiers are paying very high price in regime's onslaughts. Israeli Army Exhausted, Will Lose War Even If It Invades Rafah. One of the signs of defeat for the enemy is that the occupation is negotiating with Hamas in the sixth month of the war. Hamas is negotiating today on behalf of the resistance and not from a position of weakness, and it sets the conditions.”
Union home minister Amit Shah dismissed claims by Opposition leaders that CAA is unconstitutional and also rejected any provision on detention camps in the Act. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Amit Shah said, “This is our sovereign right to ensure Indian citizenship in our country, we will never compromise on it and CAA will never be taken back.” Shah slammed Opposition leaders like Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee and said, “They always talk about Article 14. They forget that there are two clauses in that Article. This law does not violate Article 14. There is a clear, reasonable classification here.”
US and British warplanes retaliated with extensive attack on Yemeni airport hours after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a subsidiary of the British navy, said it had received a report about an incident involving commercial shipping in waters off Yemen. UK and US warplanes carried out attacks on the international airport in the Yemeni port city of Hudaydah. As per reports, three rounds of bombardments carried out in the joint exercise.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the AIPAC conference on March 12. The prime minister said, “To win this war, we must destroy the remaining Hamas battalions in Rafah. If not, Hamas will regroup, rearm and reconquer Gaza and then we're back to square one. And that's an intolerable threat that we cannot accept." He added, " We will destroy Hamas, free our hostages and ensure that Gaza doesn't ever pose a threat to Israel again."
Israeli forces open fire on Palestinians waiting for food, Gaza government office reports. The death toll of Palestinians waiting for aid rises to 400, with 1,300 injured, as per Gaza government sources. Palestinian news agency WAFA reports at least a dozen killed and over 20 injured in Israeli bombings on Palestinians in northern Gaza. Over 31,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 72,700 injured since October 7, 2023, with no response or statement from the Israeli army on the recent incident. With no end to the war in sight, Palestinians begin fasting for the holy month of Ramadan, while hunger and humanitarian crises worsen across the Gaza Strip. The US, Qatar, and Egypt had hoped for a cease-fire before Ramadan. The Gaza Health Ministry reports 67 Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours.
Recently, intensified attacks were observed in Baalbek and northeastern Lebanon. The IDF acknowledged the challenges faced by residents of northern Israel due to Hezbollah attacks, appreciating their resilience and pledging to restore security. Although the IDF did not provide an update on Hezbollah's attacks on Israel, based on past estimates, Hezbollah attacked Israel close to 5,000 times. Despite the frequency of Hezbollah attacks, the number of Israeli casualties from those attacks is relatively low. The IDF has struck over 4,500 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and Syria, eliminating around 90% of the approximately 6,000 Radwan forces. The IDF stated it is working on clearing out the remaining Hezbollah Radwan forces.
Four Israeli airstrikes targeted Rafah's tallest residential building, the 14-storey Al-Masry building, located near the Egypt border with 300 residents. Israel allegedly warned residents 30 minutes before the strike. Video footage shows residents fleeing before the midnight strike. The IDF confirmed the airstrikes, labeling Al-Masry as a Hamas military asset. Israel is escalating operations in the last area of Rafah it has not yet invaded, leading to overcrowding with over 1.4 million displaced Palestinians seeking shelter. Humanitarian agencies warn of a catastrophe if Rafah is invaded.
India is undergoing a significant strategic shift by reducing its reliance on Russian arms. This shift is driven by the need to diversify defense procurement amidst rising tensions with Pakistan and China. Despite a slight increase in arms imports overall, India's reliance on Russian arms has drastically declined.Russia's share in Indian arms imports dropped from 76% to 36% between 2009–13 and 2019–23.India is increasingly turning to Western countries like France and the USA for arms procurement.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank, with a deadline set for March 15. Paytm Payments Bank has been advised to halt new deposits and arrange alternative services for its customers. After March 15, Paytm Payments Bank users can withdraw their existing balance from their account or wallet. Users can receive refunds, cashback, and sweep-ins from partner banks, as well as interests from their Paytm Payments Bank account. What a user would not be able to avail is-accounts, Fastag, or wallet top-ups will not be accessible. Users cannot receive money from other users into their Paytm Bank account. Salary or other direct benefit transfers will also not be possible.