Also, the bullet used to kill Charlie Kirk did NOT match rifle allegedly used by suspect Tyler Robinson, new court filing claims

National and international media news & headlines compiled by CLG

Trump vows to hit Iran ‘extremely hard’ as Tehran denies talks | 2 April 2026 | U.S. President Donald Trump has once again threatened strikes on Iran’s power plants and oil infrastructure unless his demands are met. In his first address to the nation since the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran, delivered on Wednesday, Trump said the U.S. was “very close” to achieving its military goals, adding that the expects the conflict to end in two to three weeks. As the war entered its 33rd day, new missile strikes were reported in Iran, Israel, and the Gulf states, including Kuwait, where a U.S. naval base was reportedly targeted. Meanwhile, Trump has claimed that Iran’s president wanted a ceasefire, which Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has refuted. “No ceasefire proposal has been made by Iran. The five-point plan allegedly proposed by Iran is media speculation,” Araghchi said, as cited by IRIB.

Trump says Iran war will end ‘shortly’ as he rips into allies for lacking ‘courage’ on Strait of Hormuz: ‘Just take it’| 1 April 2026 | President Donald Trump claimed near victory in the Iran war during a low energy address to the nation Wednesday night in the White House’s Cross Hall. The president spoke for under 20 minutes and didn’t announce any major developments — including whether ground troops would need to be deployed or who would take over leadership of the country. Instead, he repeated that Operation Epic Fury would conclude “shortly,” noting that U.S. military objectives were “nearing completion.” He also didn’t say what would signal an end to the conflict — just that the fighting would be more intense before it ended. “We are going to hit them extremely hard over the next two or three weeks, we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong,” Trump warned.

Massive oil tanker struck by Iranian drone near Strait of Hormuz as U.S. unleashes 2,000 pound bunker buster bombs on ammunition depot | 31 March 2026 | The U.S. unleashed devastating air strikes on an ammunition depot believed to house Iran’s enriched uranium after a massive oil tanker was struck by an Iranian drone near the Strait of Hormuz. Donald Trump posted video of the U.S. strike in the city of Isfahan to his Truth Social page, showing the 2,000-pound bombs that set off a series of explosions in the night sky. An American official confirmed that the uncaptioned video was of the Isfahan strikes and that the US used the bunker busters. Meanwhile, a fire on board a fully loaded Kuwaiti crude oil tanker hit by an Iranian attack at Dubai Port’s anchorage on Monday was extinguished, authorities said, after the strike damaged the vessel’s hull and raised concerns about a possible oil spill.

Trump weighs deploying 10,000 extra troops to Middle East, defense official says | 26 March 2026 | The Pentagon is considering sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East, a senior defense official said Thursday. While the official told Fox News National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin that it was not yet clear which units would be mobilized, the new deployment would be “in addition to the 1,500 troops deployed from the 82nd Airborne.” Earlier Thursday, President Donald Trump confirmed he was placing a hold on strikes against Iran’s energy sector for another 10 days, until April 6. The pause is intended to allow time for ceasefire negotiations to take place. Pakistan is reportedly mediating the talks between the two nations.

Pentagon ‘prepares for major escalation in Iran War with ground operations set to last for weeks’ as U.S. Marines arrive in the Middle East | 28 March 2026 | The Pentagon is gearing up for ground operations in Iran which could last several weeks officials revealed as thousands of U.S. Marines pour into the Middle East. Defense chiefs are bracing for what insiders describe as a “major escalation,” though any military action is expected to stop short of an all-out invasion, sources told The Washington Post. Instead they will use Special Operations forces backed by infantry troops, according to the sources. It remains unclear if President Donald Trump has or will approve the Pentagon’s reported plans. It comes as the U.S. 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived in the region on Saturday, bringing around 3,500 additional troops. The president reportedly continues to mull whether to send an additional 10,000 troops to the Middle East to give Washington more military options.

More than 300 U.S. troops wounded in Iran war as grim battlefield reality emerges amid ground invasion fears | 27 March 2026 | More than 300 American service members have been injured during President Donald Trump’s war in Iran. Central Command Spokesman, U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, told the Daily Mail that 303 service members have been wounded during Operation Epic Fury, which will stretch to a month-long conflict tomorrow. Of those, 273 are back on duty, with 10 still seriously wounded. That’s more than double the 140 wounded service members the Pentagon reported on March 10. It comes as some Republicans fear that Trump could launch a massive ground invasion that could result in droves of U.S. casualties. Thirteen American service members have died since Trump first ordered strikes on Iran, on February 28.

U.S. soldiers ‘seriously’ wounded and planes damaged after Iranian missile attack | 27 March 2026 | A dozen U.S. soldiers have reportedly been wounded and multiple planes damaged following an Iranian missile strike at a base in Saudi Arabia. The service members were on Prince Sultan Air Base when it was struck by at least one missile and several unmanned aerial vehicles on Friday, according to multiple US and Arab officials. Early reports from AP and The Wall Street Journal lists 10 US soldiers injured, though The New York Times now says 12 are wounded. Two service members are “very seriously injured” and eight others “seriously injured,” both a separate category under the military’s classification system, according to CBS News.

U.S. Air Force plane declares emergency as it flies into UK base from Israel | 28 March 2026 | A United States Air Force plane declared an emergency as it flew from Israel to a British airbase today. The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, which departed Ben Gurion Airport earlier bound for RAF Mildenhall, is reported to have declared an emergency over a hydraulic issue, according to an aircraft tracking account on X. The crew reportedly asked whether London Heathrow could be used as a diversion airport because they required a long runway, though the aircraft currently still appears to be heading for Mildenhall. The plane, REACH 123, is one of the US military’s large refuelling aircraft, used to top up American bombers mid-flight during long-range missions.

Secret plan to rescue thousands of Britons from Middle East if Trump launches Iran ground invasion ‘now being drawn up’ | 28 March 2026 | A secret plan to rescue thousands of UK nationals from the Middle East if Donald Trump launches a ground invasion is now being drawn up, senior military sources said on Saturday. The Mail on Sunday was told that commando raiding crafts have been quietly transferred to the eastern Mediterranean in readiness to pluck Britons from beaches and ports. And Royal Marines are on standby to be flown to out to carry out the operation. It was understood on Saturday that the operations would focus on Lebanese capital Beirut, with a reported 4,500 UK nationals still in that country. But there are also contingency plans to stage a similar operation at the Red Sea port of Aqaba in Jordan where there are a reported 6,000 Britons still resident.

Houthis join Middle East conflict | 29 March 2026 | Yemen’s Houthi armed forces announced their formal entry into the conflict in the Middle East, firing several missiles at Israel. The group, which controls the Yemeni capital Sanaa and much of the country’s north, has stayed out of the action since the U.S. and Israel first attacked Tehran on February 28. But on Saturday, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree issued a statement, declaring support for Tehran and other “resistance” factions in the region. The group is compelled to begin military operations against the U.S., Israel and their allies due to ongoing escalation, attacks on infrastructure, and “atrocities” committed in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, and the Gaza Strip, he said.

Netanyahu to widen invasion of Lebanon – saying Hezbollah can ‘still fire rockets at us’ | 29 March 2026 | Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered Israel to widen its invasion of Lebanon as he claimed Hezbollah still has the ability to “fire rockets at us,” Israel has sent troops into the south of Lebanon as it seeks to destroy the Iranian-backed militant group, which sent a barrage of missiles at Israel in revenge for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In response, Israel began “limited and targeted ground operations” [not to mention several war crimes] which it claimed have been targeting “key Hezbollah strongholds” to remove their threat for Israeli border communities. On Sunday, the Israeli prime minister said he had told the military to expand the “existing security buffer zone.”

Israeli MPs cheer death penalty for Palestinians accused of terrorism | 31 March 2026 | Israeli lawmakers led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have been filmed cheering and rejoicing at the passing of a controversial death penalty bill. Rights groups, foreign nations, and even the UN warned that the newly adopted legislation is discriminatory and would disproportionally target Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Under the law that was passed 62-47 in the Knesset on Tuesday, Palestinians found guilty of deadly terrorist attacks aimed at “ending Israel’s existence” would be executed by hanging. In the occupied West Bank, military courts would rule on such cases. In Israel, they are to be processed under the criminal law. Sentences are to be carried out within 90 days of the ruling, with no right of clemency. Judges can only switch death penalty with life imprisonment under some unspecified “special circumstances.”

Suspected Ukrainian drones have crashed in Finland – prime minister –-Petteri Orpo has linked the aerial incursion to Kiev’s latest UAV attacks on oil facilities in Russia’s north-western Leningrad Region | 29 March 2026 | Two suspected Ukrainian drones have crashed in Finland, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has reported, conjecturing that the UAVs were launched as part of Kiev’s latest attacks on neighboring Russia’s Leningrad Region. In a post on X on Sunday, Orpo wrote that the “drones have strayed into Finnish territory,” and that the incident was being investigated by local authorities and the Defense Forces. The Finnish prime minister characterized the “territorial violation as a very serious matter,” as quoted by Yle News. Meanwhile, the country’s Air Force identified one of the UAVs as a Ukrainian AN196 drone.

Bullet used to kill Charlie Kirk did NOT match rifle allegedly used by suspect Tyler Robinson, new court filing claims | 30 March 2026 | The bullet that killed conservative commentator Charlie Kirk did not match the rifle used by suspected killer Tyler Robinson, a bombshell new court filing states. Robinson, 22, is facing capital murder charges and a potential death sentence for Kirk’s murder at Utah Valley University on September 10. But his defense attorneys now argue that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives “was unable to identify the bullet recovered at autopsy to the rifle allegedly tied to Mr Robinson.” The defense team may now offer the ATF firearm analyst’s testimony as exculpatory evidence, they said in a motion filed on Friday to push the preliminary hearing back at least six months, Fox News reports.

Mystery of scientists dead or missing rises to 8 as 2 more men tied to America’s most coveted secrets join the list | 31 March 2026 | The ominous web of U.S. scientists and lab employees who have died or gone missing continues to grow as two more cases have been linked to the disturbing trend. NASA scientist Frank Maiwald reportedly died on July 4, 2024, in Los Angeles at the age of 61, but the cause of death has never been made public and officials confirmed that an autopsy was never performed. Maiwald had been a prominent researcher at the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) since 1999 and worked on multiple projects tied to advanced satellite technology that could scan Earth and other planets… Meanwhile, another mysterious disappearance has come to light at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), one of America’s key nuclear research facilities, bringing the total number of unexplained incidents to eight since July 2024. Anthony Chavez, a former employee at LANL until his retirement in 2017, vanished without a trace on May 4, 2025 – just seven weeks before a key assistant at the same lab disappeared.

New COVID ‘cicada’ variant spreads to 25 states | 31 March 2026 | A new COVID variant has been detected in at least 25 states, with experts confirming the mutation was first identified in the United States in June 2025. The BA 3.2 variant, nicknamed “cicada,” was first detected in South Africa in November 2024, and infections in the U.S. began increasing in September 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The variant was found in nasal swabs from four travelers, three airplane wastewater samples, clinical samples from five patients, and 132 wastewater samples across 25 states. According to the CDC, the mutation may help the virus evade antibodies from prior infections or vaccinations and appears to be highly transmissible.

Soros, others in $3B network behind ‘No Kings’ protests tied to communist ‘revolution’ push, investigation finds | 28 March 2026 | A network of about 500 groups with an estimated 3 billion in combined annual revenues is behind the coordinated nationwide “No Kings” protest Saturday, including communist groups who are using the day to call for a “revolution,” according to a Fox Digital News investigation. According to a copy of the permit for the “flagship” march in St. Paul, Minn., Indivisible, a national well-heeled Democratic political advocacy organization funded by billionaire George Soros, is the lead coordinator for the protest. But Fox News Digital has also identified key participation by a network of radical socialist and communist organizations funded by Neville Roy Singham, an American tech tycoon and avowed communist living in China.

Minnesota fraud: Rochester woman gets 6 months in prison after guilty plea | 1 April 2026 | A Rochester woman who admitted to laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in the massive 300 million Feeding our Future scheme has been sentenced to six months in prison and is being forced to pay back more than 491,000. Zamzam Jama, 50, was sentenced Tuesday to serve six months in prison and must pay more than 491,000 in restitution for her involvement in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. She is required to surrender to the U.S. Marshal by June 2 to begin her sentence.

Minnesota fraud: Man sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in Feeding Our Future scheme | 30 March 2026 | A man was sentenced in federal court on Monday to one year and one day for his role in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. The first charges in the Feeding Our Future scheme came down in 2022 and the scheme involves accusations of stealing over 250 million intended for pandemic relief to feed children. Since then, 79 people have been charged, with most pleading guilty or being convicted at trial. In court Monday morning, Abdul Abubakar Ali was sentenced to one year and one day for his role in the scheme. Ali pleaded guilty in 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Outrage as trans illegal immigrant gets just 6-month sentence for sexual assault of NYC teen | 25 March 2026 | The “extraordinarily low” six-month sentence handed to a trans illegal immigrant who admitted to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in Manhattan sparked outrage Wednesday from a victims’ rights group and left even former prosecutors in shock. Legal eagles were baffled by the slap-on-the-wrist plea deal the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office struck with Nicol Alexandra Contreras-Suarez, a 31-year-old transgender woman from Colombia, in the vicious 2025 assault of a 14-year-old boy in East Harlem. “I didn’t know you could get six months on this,” said Seth Zuckerman, a former prosecutor in the Brooklyn DA’s Office and current criminal defense lawyer. “It’s generally a minimum of two and a maximum of seven, so I think something must be wrong here,” he said, referring to the penalty for the charge of second-degree rape, to which Contreras-Suarez pleaded guilty on Tuesday.

HOA demanding $23,000 fee from homeowners who lost their properties in wildfires is suing those who don’t pay | 25 March 2026 | The homeowner’s association (HOA) of a wildfire[DEW]-ravaged community gave residents a 23,000 bill due within a month and threatened lawsuits if they don’t pay up. Residents of the La Vina community in Altadena were notified by the HOA on July 29, 2025, of the gargantuan fee, giving them 34 days to pay by September 1, according to the Los Angeles Times. Homeowners were forced to pay the bill to help repair damage caused by the Eaton fire last year. The January fires, which tore through ritzy LA neighborhoods, left at least 31 dead and decimated 57,000 acres of land. Altadena was among the community’s worst hit. Residents who did not chip in by paying the 23,614 bill were subject to late fees, a lien on their home, regardless of whether it was damaged, and 12 percent annual interest.