We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
Geopolitics: Middle East
Israeli forces are now launching raids east of Rafah, via Sky News
Israel military says not going to put a timeframe on the Rafah evacuation and will make "operation assessments"
Israeli military says evacuating Rafah as part of a "limited scope" operation
The Israeli army has ordered civilians in several parts of Rafah to leave the city as it begins an invasion of the southern city, via journalist Soylu
Israeli Defence Minister, speaking with US Defence Secretary Austin, that action in Rafah is required due to Hamas' refusal of hostage-release proposals
Senior Hamas Official says to Reuters that Israel's Rafah evacuation order is a "dangerous escalation that will have consequences"; Hamas may withdraw from truce talks due to Rafah operations.
Israel’s military said the Kerem Shalom Crossing with Gaza is now closed to aid trucks after it came under fire with mortar shelling which killed 3 Israeli soldiers and wounded 12 others from the Givanti and Nahal brigades, while Hamas claimed responsibility for the mortar attack on Kerem Shalom and said it targeted an Israeli army base, according to Reuters.
Israeli PM Netanyahu said they cannot accept Hamas’s demands for an end to the war and the withdrawal of forces from Gaza, while he noted that ending the Gaza war now would keep Hamas in power and Israel would not accept terms that amount to a capitulation with Israel to keep fighting until its war aims are achieved. It was separately reported that Israel’s Defence Minister said Hamas appears uninterested in a deal meaning strong military action in Gaza’s Rafah could happen very soon, according to Reuters.
Israeli army is said to have started to evacuate civilians from parts of Rafah, according to Haaretz cited by Walla's Guy Elster. Subsequently, Bloomberg reported that the Israeli military asks some Rafah civilians to move out of the city, according to Bloomberg.
Hamas’ leader said they are still keen on reaching a comprehensive agreement, while the group said the round of negotiations in Cairo has ended and the delegation will leave to consult with the group’s leadership, according to Reuters. It was separately reported that Hamas agrees that Israel can commit to ending the war in the second stage of the hostage deal not the first, according to Times of Israel via social media platform X.
CIA chief Burns is to travel to Doha for an emergency meeting with Qatar’s PM as Gaza talks are said to be ‘near to collapse’, while Qatar and the US are to exert maximum pressure on Israel and Hamas to continue negotiations, according to an official briefed on talks cited by Reuters. It was separately reported that Burns will stay in Qatar on Monday and likely travel to Israel this week to meet with Israeli PM Netanyahu, according to an Axios reporter.
US reportedly put a hold on an ammunition shipment to Israel last week, according to two Israeli officials cited by Axios.
Iraqi armed factions announced they targeted an Israeli air base in Eilat with drones, according to Al Arabiya.
Israeli Cabinet decided to close Qatari TV network Al Jazeera’s operations in Gaza, according to a statement cited by Reuters. It was later reported that Israel’s communications ministry said a police raid was conducted at an Al Jazeera premises in Jerusalem.
Geopolitics:
Russia said it took full control of Ocheretyne village in eastern Ukraine, according to the Defence Ministry, cited by Reuters.
Russian Defence Ministry says preparations are beginning for the commencement of a missile exercises in the southern district, incl. aviation & navy forces
WOW 🚨 The Republican Party is protecting Ilhan Omar from accountability
Rep Nancy Mace “I tried to subpoena her immigration records, her brother husband's immigration records, and IT WAS REPUBLICANS that killed my motion”
It’s a Uniparty. One Big Club.
https://x.com/WallStreetApes/status/2029691279555305592?s=20
Iran War & Fuel Rationing – are “Energy Lockdowns” on the way?
The war in Iran is having the impact that most people with any sense knew it would have: The price of oil is going up, and the supply of oil is going down.
Of course, whether or not the latter of these is actually true we will never know, and it’s beside the point. Oil companies will natural take the slightest excuse to price gouge and contrive scarcity for the basest of profit motives.
It also serves a political motive as well, since we know the global political machinery is –
against free travel…...
Read full article ...
https://off-guardian.org/2026/03/16/iran-fuel-rationing-are-energy-lockdowns-on-the-way/
That means that of the 2.1mn tonnes of urea — the world’s most widely used nitrogen fertiliser — that would normally have been loaded for export over the past two weeks, about half has been disrupted.
At the same time, more than 1.1mn tonnes of fertiliser and fertiliser inputs, including 570,000 tonnes of urea, is currently stuck in the Gulf, either being loaded or already on ships, according to Kpler data.
Nitrogen fertilisers, which underpin about half of global food production, are made from ammonia using natural gas, which has soared in price since the war began last month.
The shortages have begun during the northern hemisphere’s planting season, leading industry executives to warn of lower harvests for staples such as rice.
If the disruption continues, “this will be much worse than 2022”, said Veronica Nigh, senior economist at The Fertilizer Institute, a US-based trade group. “The longer the conflict goes on, the more dire the situation will become.”
The Middle ...
With reference to the University of Kent meningitis outbreak. All exams being conducted atm are to be taken online. Campus is open as usual. Outbreak was traced to a canterbury nightclub called club chemistry , popular with students in which 2 students (1- UKC student, 1- Faversham college student) have sadly died.
