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Trump administration launches US military operation in Ecuador
The United States government has announced it is collaborating with Ecuador to combat “terrorists” in the South American country.
On Wednesday, US Southern Command, the military unit overseeing operations in Central and South America, posted that joint efforts had already begun in Ecuador.
“On March 3, Ecuadorian and US military forces launched operations against Designated Terrorist Organizations in Ecuador,” General Francis Donovan said.
“The operations are a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.”
The statement was accompanied by video footage of military helicopters taking off, as well as black-and-white aerial surveillance imagery of figures boarding helicopters on the ground.
The announcement appears to be part of US President Donald Trump’s broader push against criminal networks and drug cartels in Latin America.
The scope of the Ecuadorian operation is not yet known, but several US news outlets have reported that it is so far limited to supporting Ecuadorian troops through logistics and intelligence, citing government sources.
At a Wednesday news briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the joint operation.
“Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,” she told reporters.
Since taking office for a second term last year, Trump has moved to label multiple prominent cartels as “foreign terrorist organisations”, a term typically reserved for armed groups with political aims.
His administration has paired those labels with an increasingly militaristic approach to combatting drug trafficking, including through the bombing of suspected smuggling vessels.
Critics have pointed out, however, that drug trafficking is considered a crime under international law, not an act of war, and that such lethal actions can be considered extrajudicial killings.
At least 44 aerial strikes have been carried out against alleged drug-smuggling boats and other maritime vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
The result has been 150 known deaths. The identities of the victims have yet to be confirmed by US officials, and no charges against them have been made public.
Two survivors who were recovered from an October attack on a submarine were quickly repatriated to their home countries, Ecuador and Colombia, where they were subsequently released.
Some families from Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago, meanwhile, have claimed that the deceased were fishermen or informal workers transiting between Venezuela and nearby islands, not drug traffickers.
The Trump administration has also launched military actions on Venezuelan soil, one in late December and a second on January 3. In both cases, it justified the strikes as law enforcement actions against drug traffickers.
The first targeted a dock allegedly used by the transnational gang Tren de Aragua. The second culminated in the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was subsequently imprisoned and charged with drug trafficking and weapons charges in a US federal court.
That operation was likewise condemned as a violation of international law, with experts at the United Nations warning that it was “part of a broader and deeply troubling pattern” of unprovoked military aggression.
The Trump administration, however, has suggested it plans to expand its military operations against suspected drug traffickers to other land-based targets. The announcement from Ecuador suggests a new front for its military offensive.
Wednesday’s announcement comes two days after General Donovan, the head of the US Southern Command, visited Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and his defence ministers on March 2 in the capital of Quito.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ecuador has seen a spike in homicides and other violent crimes, as criminal networks make inroads in the country.
Previously, Ecuador had some of the lowest rates of violent crime in the region, earning the country a reputation as an “island of peace” in Latin America.
But experts say the leap can be attributed to a number of factors, including high youth unemployment during the pandemic, economic instability, and a desire to exploit Ecuador’s strategic location on the Pacific coast, between major cocaine producers like Colombia and Peru.
Noboa, a right-wing leader who has been in office since 2023, campaigned for re-election last year on the pledge that he would tamp down on the uptick in crime. He has become closely associated with the “mano dura” or “iron fist” approach to law enforcement.
Trump too has encouraged Latin American leaders to be more aggressive in their handling of criminal networks, and both Noboa and Trump have threatened Colombia, led by left-wing leader Gustavo Petro, for allegedly failing to comply.
On March 1, for instance, Noboa plans to raise tariffs on Colombian imports to 50 percent as punishment for failing to crack down on cocaine trafficking.
On Wednesday, General Donovan praised the Ecuadorian military for their “unwavering commitment” to the fight “against narco-terrorists in their country”.
“Together, we are taking decisive action to confront narco-terrorists who have long inflicted terror, violence, and corruption on citizens throughout the hemisphere,” he said in a statement.
President Noboa, who has hosted Trump administration officials like Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem multiple times over the past year, also welcomed the increased collaboration.
“We are beginning a new phase in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal mining,” Noboa wrote on social media on March 2.
“The security of Ecuadorians is our priority, and we will fight for peace in every corner of the country. To achieve this peace, we must act decisively against criminals, wherever they may be.”
Still, critics responded to Wednesday’s announcement with scepticism and alarm about the increasing US military operations overseas.
Brian Finucane, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group think tank, wrote on social media that the US has yet to clarify what its role in the joint operations was and what its targets were.
“My sense is that some in the administration have been itching to put US military boots on the ground somewhere for an operation against ‘narco-terrorists’ and then publicly brag about it,” Finucane said.
“Ecuador was more amenable than, say, Mexico.”
[Aljazeera]
The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has granted approval to increase electricity tariffs with effect from 1st April .
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) requested a 13.56% electricity tariff revision for the second quarter of this year.
The revision announced by the PUCSL for domestic consumers:
0–30 units category, electricity tariffs will rise by 4.3%,
31–60 units category, tariffs will rise by 6.9%,
61–90 units category, tariffs will rise by 6.9%,
91–120 units category, tariffs will rise by 7.2%,
Above 180 units, electricity tariffs will rise by 25.3%
The PUCSL has decided not to increase electricity tariffs for religious and charitable institutions that consume below 180 units monthly and a 9.6% increase for institutions that consume above 180 units.
Ectricity tariffs for the general and household consumer categories has been increased by 8%, while the electricity tariff increase for the industrial sector is 8.7%, the increase in tariff for government institutions is 14.4%.
Before Sunday, Mumbai Indians had never chased down a 220-plus target in their previous seven attempts. MI had never won their opening game of the IPL since 2012. On day two of IPL 2026, MI broke two jinxes as they chased down 221 in 19.1 overs to begin their season with a comfortable six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders. Rohit Sharma wound back the clock, smashing 78 off 38 balls, while Ryan Rickelton thumped 81 off 43, the duo adding 148 runs for the opening wicket off 71 balls.
That KKR were coming into this opening game severely depleted on the bowling front was known. The extent of it was visible on Sunday night with Vaibhav Arora and Blessing Muzarabani toothless, Varun Chakravarthy ineffective and Sunil Narine a shadow of his former self.
At the halfway mark, KKR might have been happy reaching 220 for 4, their second-highest score against MI in the IPL. Ajinkya Rahane, who at the toss said that he had “never seen so much of grass at Wankhede”, scored 67 off 40 balls while Angkrish Raghuvanshi, another Mumbai lad, made 51 off 29 as KKR breached the 220 mark. But against a KKR unit missing several of their frontline seamers, MI barely had any hiccups, completing the highest-successful IPL chase at the Wankhede with five balls to spare.
It was a typical Rohit innings that Wankhede has witnessed so many times, laced with some of the most pristine shots. He was on 12 off eight at one stage, but once in, he lit up Mumbai like only he can. Coming into the game, he had a strike rate of less than 100 against Varun in T20s. So, what did he do? He lofted the spinner inside-out over covers first ball and then lifted him for six the next ball. By the time the powerplay was done, Rohit had raced to a 23-ball fifty, his fastest in the IPL and MI’s chase was on course.
They raced to 80 in the first six, past 100 in 8.1 overs and by the time Rohit fell, thanks to a lovely catch by Anukul Roy running back from mid-off, MI’s required rate had gone below nine, which at the start of the innings was above 11 an over.
There were a few raised eyebrows when Rickelton was picked over the more experienced Quinton de Kock , but the former justified his selection. Rickelton needed just the first couple of overs to get a hang of the surface and once he did, there was no stopping him. He deposited Arora for back-to-back sixes, one over extra cover and then over deep midwicket, and that kickstarted a brutal takedown of the KKR bowlers.
While he saw Rohit do his thing in the powerplay, Rickelton took on Narine after the six-over mark. He slog swept him over deep midwicket in his first over and then launched him over the ropes twice in three balls in the next to raise a 24-ball fifty.
He didn’t stop there and only fell courtesy a stunning direct hit from the deep by Anukul. Suryakumar Yadav, the Impact Sub, came and went, but Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma took MI closer. Hardik finished on an unbeaten 18 off 11 balls, while Naman Dhir hit the winning runs off Anukul as MI started their IPL 2026 in style.
Finn Allen brought his stellar form international cricket to the IPL. After facing five dot balls against Hardik, he went after MI debutant AM Ghazanfar, pumping him to the deep square fence and then spanking him for an 86-metre six over wide long-on. Another six capped off Ghazanfar’s opening over. Rahane then went after Hardik, thumping him for back-to-back sixes and Allen then got on strike and went 4, 4, 4. A monster 26-run over against Hardik helped KKR race past fifty in 3.5 overs, their fastest against MI in the IPL.
Shardul Thqkur, on MI debut, then brought his experience into play and sent back Allen who shoveled a slower length ball to long-off but Rahane carried on. He struck two fours off Thakur as KKR finished on 78 for 1 in six overs.
Two Mumbai boys on opposite ends were critical to their team’s cause. After removing Allen, Thakur sent back Cameron Green, whose innings lasted just ten balls and he then dismissed Rahane with a hard length delivery outside off that was mistimed to extra cover. At this point, KKR were still going at over ten an over but had lost steam, thanks to some terrific bowling from Bumrah, Trent Boult and Thakur.
Enter the other Mumbai boy, Raghuvanshi. He was on 17 off 14 at one stage but found a new lease of life after being dropped by Rohit at long-on. He closed out the 15th over with a four and six against Ghazanfar and then launched Thakur over long-on. Raghuvanshi added 60 off 30 balls with Rinku Singh for the fourth wicket, reaching his fifty off 28 balls as KKR raced past 200 in the 19th over.
Rinku struck unbeaten on 33 off 21 as KKR finished on 220 for 4 but it wasn’t enough.
Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 221 for 4 in 19.1 overs (Ryan Rickelton 81, Rohit Sharma 78, Suryakumar Yadav 16, Tilak Varma 20, HardikPandya 18*; Vaibhav Arora 1-52, Kartik Tyagi 1-43, Sunil Narine 1-30) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 220 for 4 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 67, Finn Allen 37, Cameron Green 18, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 51, Rinku Singh 33*; Hardik Pandya 1-39, Shardul Thakur 3-39) by six wickets
[Cricinfo]
Oil prices have surged to their highest level in nearly two weeks amid escalation on multiple fronts of the US-Israel war on Iran.
Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose more than 3 percent on Monday morning to top $116 a barrel.
The latest climb took the global benchmark to its highest point since March 19, when it briefly touched $119 a barrel.
The surge came after Iran said it was prepared for a US ground invasion, with the speaker of the country’s parliament warning that Tehran was waiting for the arrival of US troops to “set them on fire” and “punish” their regional allies.
Tehran’s warning came as the conflict deepened over the weekend, with the Iranian-backed Houthis launching missiles at Israel for the first time in the war, and Israel expanding its invasion of southern Lebanon.
Asia’s main stock indexes fell sharply in morning trading, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 and South Korea’s KOSPI both down more than 4 percent as of 1:30 GMT.
Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the US-Israel war has disrupted about one-fifth of global oil and liquified natural gas (LNG) supplies, plunging the world into its biggest energy crisis in decades.
Oil prices have risen nearly 60 percent since the start of the war, driving up fuel prices worldwide and forcing numerous countries to adopt emergency measures to conserve energy.
Analysts have warned that oil prices are likely to keep rising unless maritime traffic returns to normal levels in the strait.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s energy infrastructure if Tehran does not relinquish its stranglehold on the waterway by a deadline of April 6.
Trump, who on Thursday extended his deadline by 10 days, has proposed a 15-point plan for ending the war with Iran and insisted that the two sides are making progress towards a deal in indirect talks being mediated by Pakistan.
Tehran has flatly rejected Trump’s plan and proposed its own terms for a ceasefire, including war reparations and recognition of Iran’s right to control the strait.
Greg Newman, CEO of Onyx Capital Group, which began as an oil derivatives trading house, said energy consumers were only beginning to feel the true fallout of the turmoil.
“Physical oil moves around the world in loading cycles, and Europe has taken around three weeks to really start feeling the effects of the oil shortage,” Newman told Al Jazeera.
“Brent is starting to reflect the reality, and we think it’s a steady rise from here towards $120 and beyond.”
Newman said the scale of the disruption had yet to be fully appreciated.
“No one in the market has ever seen the outages we are now suffering from – physical premiums are the highest ever. There is still a sense that the macro world is not taking this seriously enough, but it is worse than anything that has come before it,” he said.
“The reality will come out in the economic numbers over the coming months.”
While Iran has been allowing a growing number of transits by ships that are not aligned with the US or Israel, traffic remains a fraction of pre-war levels.
On Saturday, Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar announced that Tehran had agreed to allow 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels to pass the strait in what he described as a “meaningful step toward peace”.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said last week that Iran had granted an unspecified number of Malaysian vessels permission to clear the strait.
Seven non-Iranian vessels passed the strait on Thursday, up from five on Wednesday and four on Tuesday, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward.
Before the start of the war on February 28, the strait saw an average of 120 daily transits, according to Windward.
[Aljazeera]
Electricity tariffs to be increased from 1st April
A QR code system to be introduced for agricultural lands and other sectors requiring fuel
Rickelton, Rohit, Shardul break Mumbai’s first-game jinx
Oil tops $116 a barrel as Iran accuses US of preparing invasion
Iranian attack damages Kuwait power and desalination plant, kills worker
Warm weather conditions prevailing over the island are expected to continue
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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