Breaking News, 24th of March, 2018

The United States and up to 20 European countries are preparing to expel Russian diplomats because of the accusations of involvement of the Russian authorities in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia, Interfax reports. Earlier, the US National Security Council advised Donald Trump to expel Russian diplomats as well. According to the sources of CNN — the option of expelling the Russian diplomats from the US would be «the hardest answer», hence why this option became so important after the meeting.

---

According to the public opinion survey, conducted a day before the anniversary of the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, the overwhelming majority of Serbians do not support the country’s membership in NATO. 84% of citizens spoke against this decision, while 10% supported membership in the alliance, and 6% found it difficult to answer.

---

The head of the Ukrainian government, Vladimir Groisman, said that his country plans to become an exporter of gas by 2020. «We need to stop importing gas. For that, we concentrated on the program of increasing of the extraction of Ukrainian gas. Last year, our gas production increased by 700 millions cubic meters.» — Groysman said according to RIA NEWS. He also said that canceling the import of gas, and turning the country into an exporter of gas will reduce the price of gas for the consumers.

---

A representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hua Chuning, urged Washington to stop its provocative actions that threaten China’s security. This statement was made in response of USS Mustin entering the waters near the islands in the South Chinese Sea. «China strongly urges the United States to immediately stop provocative operations that violate China’s sovereignty and threaten our security.» — the diplomat said in a statement.

---

The Russian military and the leaders of illegal militant groups in the Eastern Guta have reached an agreement on the opening of another crossing point in the settlement of Arbil, Interfax reports with a reference to the Russian Defense Ministry. «On the organized corridor, 3084 militants and members of their families moved during the day in a column of 59 buses, straight to the province of Idlib» — says the report. So far, 4,979 militants and members of their families were moved from Kharasta to Idlib Province.

---

Syrian army kicked out the militants from the village of Ain Termа in Eastern Guta. As a result of the Operation »Damascus Steel», the Syrian army liberated 90% of the territory of the former enclave. Earlier the Islamists, who had been holding the outer areas of Damascus for six years, announced their intention to transfer the control over their territories to the Syrian authorities, in exchange for access to the province of Idlib. The militants are also willing to leave Jobar, Zamalka and Arbin.