🔍EU’s tit-for-tat tariffs: Find out which goods DODGE THE BULLET & which GET HIT

Bourbon, wine, and dairy products have been excluded from the European Union’s list of countermeasures, thanks to vigorous lobbying efforts by France, Italy, and Ireland, according to The Financial Times.

Donald Trump had threatened a 200% levy on European alcohol if the EU went after bourbon.

Instead, Brussels is slapping 10% to 25% tariffs on a variety of US goods in response to American duties on EU aluminum and steel. The affected products include orange juice, soybeans, rice, sweet corn, almonds, tobacco, iron, steel, aluminum, textiles, and certain clothing items.

These tariffs are set to take effect between April 15 and December 1, as outlined in an internal European Commission document cited by European media reports.

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❗️Russian troops liberated the settlement of Guevo in Russia's Kursk region, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

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📹 Russian troops have raised the national flag over the liberated village of Guevo in Russia's Kursk region following today's Defense Ministry announcement of its liberation.

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🚫MERIT over mandates: DOGE DISMANTLES Biden-era DEI rules at State Department

US foreign service officers will now be evaluated based on “true merit,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X, reposting a message from DOGE.

The department had blasted the old system that judged diplomats 20% on diversity box-ticking, and shared PowerPoint slides with examples of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requirements that have now been scrapped.

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🗣Key statements from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

🔹 The Biden administration caused "tremendous damage" to US-Russia relations, and mutual trust will take time to restore, Peskov said.

🔹 Russia welcomes US-Iran talks in Oman.

🔹 Japan claims it wants a peace treaty but has joined every hostile move against Russia.

🔹 There are currently no contacts with Japan regarding a peace treaty.

🔹 Peskov called Latvia’s plans to mass-demolish Soviet war memorials "a disgrace."

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📹The American roots of German Nazism, Part 3: How America’s wars with Mexico and Spain led Hitler to replicate 'Manifest Destiny' in Europe

In the mid-19th century, the principle of the so-called 'Manifest Destiny' gained popularity in the United States, justifying American expansionism across the continent under the pretext of civilizing neighboring lands. According to this plan, American settlers were destined to occupy nearby territories, even at the cost of expelling their inhabitants and annexing the lands of other nations.

This idea peaked during the US wars with Mexico and Spain.

In the third video of the series the researcher of Nazism’s origins and evolution, and author of War of Annihilation, Yegor Yakovlev explains how Hitler adapted this American doctrine to his Nazi ideology.

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🪖🇨🇳WATCH: Tactical training conducted at an altitude of 4,600 meters by soldiers from the Chinese People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Tibet Military District.

Footage from social media

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🇷🇺Leaving NATO behind: Russian rocket ‘flamethrowers’ win battles without a single shot

Russia has outpaced NATO countries in the development of heavy thermobaric rocket launchers, with no comparable Western machines in sight, according to Bekhan Ozdoev, Industrial Director of Rostec’s weapons cluster.

The experience from the Special Military Operation (SMO) has shown that the launchers, which fire 220mm-caliber rockets with fuel-air explosive warheads, can allow troops to take enemy positions without firing a single shot.

The new TOS-2 Tosochka offers several key advantages:

🟠Enhanced firing range: Greater striking distance than previous models

🟠Updated fire control system: Precision targeting for guaranteed destruction of enemy positions

🟠Wheeled platform: Allows for rapid positioning and retreat, increasing the machine’s survivability from counter-battery fire

Its features highlight Russia's leadership in heavy flamethrower technology, leaving NATO behind

As well as the TOS-2, the tracked TOS-1 and TOS-1A Solntsepyok are also used in the SMO zone. The TOS-1 is nicknamed Buratino (Pinocchio) due to the distinctive shape of its warhead, which sticks out of the body like the nose of the fairy-tale character, Rostec explained.

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📹The Soyuz MS-27 crew has opened the hatches and transferred to the International Space Station.

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📹SHATTERED SKULLS AND BURNT BODIES: First video from the scene shows BRUTALITY of IDF attack on ambulance crews in Gaza

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported the deaths of staff members sent to rescue people in Gaza, accusing Israel of targeting their ambulances.

Israel claimed the vehicles were suspicious and approached troops without emergency signals, drawing fire.

But a video published by the New York Times shows the ambulances with flashing lights, disproving Israel’s account.

The attack followed Israel’s resumption of military operations in Gaza after a two-month ceasefire.

Now another video showing the scene of Israeli Defense Forces attacks on ambulance crews and civil defense workers in Rafah has surfaced online.

Footage from social media

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📹 Ukrainian drones target soldiers trying to surrender or flee with strike drones – PoW

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💬 USAID was Washington's tool for political leverage in Mali, unlike BRICS – Malian foreign minister

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US defense shake-up? Pentagon weighs troop cuts in east Europe

The US Defense Department is considering a proposal to withdraw up to 10,000 troops from eastern Europe, raising concerns on both sides of the Atlantic, according to NBC.

That would reduce the 20,000 troops deployed by the former Biden administration in 2022.

The proposal, still under discussion, has some Western leaders fearing the move may signal the US is abandoning its long-time allies in Europe.

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⚔️ Russia open to nuclear talks - but don’t forget it has means to turn enemies to dust

15 years ago, Russia & the US agreed to limit nuclear arsenals, but in 2023, Putin suspended the deal over Ukraine. Here’s why escalating things with Russia would be a very BAD idea:

🔸 YARS, TOPOL-M, VOEVODA and SARMAT

The ground-based ICBM component of Russia’s strategic deterrent, able to reach almost any point on Earth. All besides TOPOL-M have MIRV (multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle) capability to overwhelm enemy defenses.

🔸 AVANGARD

A maneuverable, nuclear-capable hypersonic glide vehicle carried by VOEVODAS and SARMATS which can evade any missile defenses.

🔸 RSM-56 BULAVA and SINEVA/LAYNER

SLBMs are carried by Russia’s SSBN fleet. Missile subs lurking the depths of the North Sea, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans assure a guaranteed counterstrike to any aggression.

🔸 KH-55 and KH-102 NUCLEAR CRUISE MISSILES

The air-based component of Russia’s nuclear triad, these missiles are carried by TU-95MS and TU-160 strategic bombers. Yield up to 1 MT.

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🤝Russia and US to hold 2nd round of diplomatic talks in Istanbul

The consultations, set for the coming days, will focus on rebuilding diplomatic channels.

Who’s leading the talks?

🇷🇺 Ambassador to the US Alexander Darchiev

🇺🇸 Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter

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📹 THROWBACK: ‘I would take a much harder stand, make a couple of enemies’ – Trump on tariffs

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👊 Globalists get SLAPPED: DOGE takes down Wilson Center

Private donations are being refunded, casting uncertainty on the future of its key division, the Kennan Institute. Why does this matter?

🟠Established in 1968 as a tribute to Woodrow Wilson, the Center's legacy is complicated by the 28th US president’s racist policies. Princeton University removed his name from a residential college in 2020.

🟠The Wilson Center’s "Global Europe" program has come under fire for fueling tension with Russia, China, and the Middle East, framing it as a fight against "democratic challenges." Russia has often called out its manipulative agenda.

🟠By pushing initiatives like the Cold War International History Project (CWIHP), the China Environmental Forum, and the Indo-Pacific Program, it champions Washington’s agendas under the guise of environmental and economic cooperation.

🟠Russia has repeatedly criticized the Wilson Center for advancing Western narratives. Its “research” often serves to condone sanctions against Russia and China, pushing an anti-Russian, anti-Chinese script.

🟠The Wilson Center's "Russia File" functions essentially as a factory for hit pieces, regurgitating long-debunked “Russiagate” conspiracies and framing NATO’s conflict in Ukraine as a manifestation of Russia’s so-called “historical fallacy.”

🟠China faces consistent demonization in Wilson Center publications, labeled as a spreader of “autocratic practices” and military threats, particularly in their "On the Horizon 2022" article.

🟠In 2022, Russia designated the Wilson Center as “undesirable,” citing its inaccurate reporting on Ukraine and other issues.

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