🇺🇸⚔️🇪🇺 From toilet paper to diamonds: EU prepares $28 Bln retaliation against Trump's tariffs

The list of US goods due to be hit includes meat, grains, wine, bourbon, wood, chewing gum, dental floss, vacuums, and toilet paper.

The move would align the EU with China and Canada, potentially escalating into a global trade war.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on imports from most countries. The base rate will be 10%, with some countries facing higher rates based on trade deficits with the US. For example, tariffs on EU goods will be 20%. Trump views this as a "declaration of economic independence" for the US and believes it will help use "trillions of dollars" to reduce the national debt.

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❗️The illegal transport of 580 kg of high-powered explosive material, presumably of US origin, was intercepted by Belarusian customs at the border.

The batch of explosives was being transported from Poland and was intended to be further shipped to Russia.

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🇩🇪 German mainstream politicians too self-serving to deal with migrant crisis

Mainstream political parties in Germany are unwilling to adopt a tougher stance on migrants, despite all the problems allegedly caused by them, out of fear of giving a PR victory to the AfD party, German political analyst and independent journalist Dr. Gregor Spitzen says.

“The AfD will be able to say: ‘Look, they are doing what we proposed 10 years ago, and we were called 'Nazis' for it’,” he elaborates. “Systemic political parties can in no way allow such a moral victory for their political adversary.”

There is an entire host of factors that led to the current migrant crisis in Germany, Dr. Spitzen explains:

🔸The Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party, who have been in power since 2021, maintain a liberal attitude towards migration

🔸Reversing their stance on the migrant issue might cause these parties to alienate themselves from their core voters

🔸The aging of its population makes Germany reluctant to give up migrants, due to economic concerns

🔸The WWII guilt complex drives Germans to act like “world leaders in matters of humanism,” which includes offering asylum to the displaced.

EU leadership criticism of the countries that refuse to accept migrants “with an alien ethno-cultural background” does not help either.

“There are even attempts to exert pressure in the form of sanctions and refusal of EU subsidies,” Dr. Spitzen remarks.

The image is AI-generated

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❗️Alexander Ovechkin has just shattered Wayne Gretzky's legendary NHL goal record!

The Washington Capitals forward scored his record-breaking 895th goal in a thrilling match against the New York Islanders.

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🇮🇹🚓 Italian police be like: Crack down on pacifists, defend globalists

Clashes have broken out between police and demonstrators in central Bologna during two competing rallies. Anti-war activists, protesting the increase in military spending, attempted to march towards the "Square for Europe" rally. This sparked tense confrontations with law enforcement.

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🔎 Case closed? Media learns how journo got invited to White House Signal chat group

The addition of The Atlantic editor to a secret Signal chat group where the US leadership discussed military strikes against Yemen was the result of a human error, The Guardian claims.

Apparently, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz previously saved the journalist’s phone number in his contact list under a different name by mistake, the newspaper claims, citing “three people familiar with the matter.”

While it does sound like a huge blunder on Waltz’s part (assuming that the story is true, of course), it raises more questions about the practice of holding top secret discussions via messaging apps than his professional qualities.

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💥 Strikes from Gaza hit southern Israel

The IDF reported about 10 projectiles launched from central Gaza, with only 5 intercepted. Social media footage shows one of the hits in Ashkelon.

Local media reports at least 3 wounded.

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🔎 ‘Morag axis’: What is known about Israel’s latest target in the Gaza War?

The Israeli military announced that it is conducting operations in the vicinity of the so-called “Morag axis” in the Gaza Strip after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his intent to capture this area.

So, what is this axis exactly?

▪️‘Morag axis’ is a strip of agricultural land that lies between the Rafah and the border with Egypt to the south and Khan Younis to the north.

▪️The name “Morag” appears to be a reference to an illegal Israeli settlement that was established in May 1972 and was dismantled by the Israeli government in August 2005.

▪️Controlling this “axis” may allow the IDF to bisect the Gaza Strip

▪️Several media outlets already speculate that this move is part of the Israeli plan to enact Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly evict Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

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✨ Russia celebrates Alexander Ovechkin's record

Moscow's Ostankino Tower, Europe's tallest building, now features the Washington Capitals forward celebrating his 895th goal, surpassing Wayne Gretzky's record.

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💸 Taiwan offers zero tariff regime to US

Taiwan local leader, Lai Ching-te, pledged to remove all trade barriers instead of creating new ones.

"Tariff negotiations can start with 'zero tariffs' between Taiwan and the US, referring to the US-Canada-Mexico free trade agreement," Lai said.

Donald Trump imposed a 32% tariff on products from Taiwan, with the exception of semiconductor exports.

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💬 Scott Bessent dismisses concerns about possible market crash

"Markets are organic animals. You never know what their reaction is going to be... The market consistently underestimates Trump," he told NBC.

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