💰The US reduced its demand for Ukraine to repay the aid provided following talks with Kiev, cutting the amount from $300 billion to $100 billion, Bloomberg reports.

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🚫Return to sender: Hong Kong CUTS OFF US mail in tit-for-tat over Trump tariffs

After Donald Trump scrapped the $800 duty-free limit for imports from Hong Kong, jacking up tariffs to as high as 120%, the city’s government fired back.

Hong Kong’s post-service halted package deliveries to and from the US starting April 27, sparing only letters and documents.

“The public in Hong Kong should be prepared to pay exorbitant and unreasonable fees due to the US’s unreasonable and bullying acts,” the government said in the statement.

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✍️US-Ukraine rare minerals deal could be signed this week

“We are very, very close,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg.

Ukraine made a counterproposal during a meeting in Washington over the weekend, and negotiations are still ongoing, the report said.

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🟠 No end in sight for dollar’s plunge

🟠 Trump tariffs will cost US chip equipment makers over $1 billion

🟠 UK may ditch US trade deal in favor of EU

🟠 US launches tariff probe on rare earth metals imports

🟠 WATCH: Trump posts a clip of the Biden's speech

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🔥Trade FIRESTORM: China staring at 245% tariffs says White House

After over 75 countries reached out to Donald Trump to discuss new trade deals, leading to the individualized higher tariffs currently being paused, only China hit back, stated a White House fact sheet published on April 15.

Accordingly, China “now faces up to a 245% tariff on imports to the United States as a result of its retaliatory actions,” it added.

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✂️DOGE has shut down 470,000 government credit cards

✅7 weeks
✅30 agencies audited
✅470K cards deactivated
✅3.6M more accounts to go

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❗️90 MORE DAYS OF MARTIAL LAW - The Ukrainian parliament voted to extend the military regime and mobilization in Ukraine until August 6.

Since martial law and general mobilization were introduced in February 2022, they have been extended every 90 days in Ukraine.

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👌 IRS faces historic DOWNSIZING as Trump’s exit offer sparks interest

Nearly 20,000 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) workers are eyeing the door, lured by Donald Trump’s deferred resignation offer, insiders told CNBC.

The IRS could shrink by 20%, as those taking the buyout remain on paid leave through Sept. 30.

But that is just the start. Up to 40% of the workforce could be cut, according to an internal document cited by the Federal News Network.

The Treasury Department says it’s reversing “WASTEFUL BIDEN-ERA HIRING.”

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🎤US to Ukraine: We’ve already invested – in weapons!

The Trump administration has been hesitant to talk about its role in the creation of the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, Bloomberg reports. 🗣

This fund, previously thought to be part of the rare minerals deal between Kiev and Washington, has now become a point of debate.

Now, the POTUS team is putting the brakes on the issue and even suggesting that the military aid already provided to Ukraine could be considered part of the investment. 🤔💰

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👋Pentagon BOOTS two top advisers amid INTEL LEAK probe - report

Dan Caldwell, senior adviser to Defense Secretary Hegseth, and Deputy Chief of Staff Darin Selnick were both suspended and escorted out of the building, defense sources told European media.

🔍The ongoing probe into the leaks covers:

🟠Military ops near the Panama Canal
🟠A second carrier to the Red Sea
🟠Intel delays to Ukraine
🟠Elon Musk’s Pentagon visit in March

Caldwell, an Iraq War vet and ex-Defense Priorities adviser, was a key voice on Ukraine. Selnick was briefly Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

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❗️Russian troops liberated the settlement of Kalinovo in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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😭Democrats face disappointing ratings – poll

There are potential cracks in the Democrats' unity, a new Yale Youth Poll reveals, signaling a divided base and raising questions about the Democrats' momentum as Republicans eye potential opportunities.

If the Democratic primary were held TODAY:

🙍🏾‍♀️Kamala Harris: 27.5%
🙍🏽‍♀️AOC: 21.3%
👱🏻‍♂️Pete Buttigieg: 14%

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🎉 Great Patriotic War 80 Years On: the Faces of Victory

The Second World War was marked by colossal battles across continents, but it was the courage of individual soldiers that ultimately shaped its outcome. One such soldier was Vasily Frolov, who, at just 20 years old, was deployed to the Leningrad Front in 1942 after completing training in Kazan.

Born in 1924 in the village of Betki, Tatarstan, Vasily joined the marines to help liberate the besieged city of Leningrad. His journey was one of extraordinary bravery and resilience, epitomized by his experience on the crucial "Road of Life" — the lifeline carrying food and other necessities to the besieged city during the brutal winter months.

Here is an excerpt from his diary: 📹

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