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🇺🇸⚔️🇪🇺 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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🇩🇪🏭 Coal plant in Germany demolished despite energy crisis
A coal power plant in Ibbenbueren, Westphalia, was blown up today.
First, the 100-meter boiler house collapsed, followed by a controlled demolition of the 125-meter cooling tower. Hundreds of people witnessed the collapse on-site.
Despite the ongoing energy crisis, the plant was prematurely closed in 2021 as part of the energy transition, even though it was still capable of operating.
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🧐 Europe’s Russophobia circus: Is war-mongering covering over the EU's cracks?
The German military is due to hold large-scale drills to practice a scenario of a possible "Russian attack”, the latest move in a series of Russophobic actions and remarks by Western politicians.
Europe's top Russophobic warmongers:
🇩🇪 Germany: The country must take steps to be ready for a possible war with Russia, which “has long ago shifted to a military economy and continues to arm itself,” Defense Ministry Boris Pistorius argued.
🇬🇧 Britain: The UK should get ready for war as Russian President Putin is “trying to redraw the map and is going to test the boundaries” of NATO’s Article 5, former head of MI6 Alex Younger alleged.
🇫🇷 France: Russia endangers the entire EU, which is why Paris would begin discussions about the possibility of placing the bloc under the protection of French nuclear deterrent forces, President Emmanuel Macron claimed.
🇵🇱 Poland: "We have no doubt that Russia is dangerous so we consistently strengthen the Polish Armed Forces, equipping it with modern weapons,” former Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak insisted.
🇪🇺 The EU: “Russia’s actions are a clear and present threat to the security of the EU, and to the stability of the European continent. We must stand firm against Russia's attempts to undermine our democracy and sovereignty,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asserted.
Why is Europe stoking up Russophobic tensions?
The apparent goal is to distract attention from the EU’s persistent economic woes and justify the bloc’s push to boost its defense spending.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized that speculation about Russia preparing to attack Europe is baseless and absolute nonsense.
With EU members still at odds with each other over a raft of pressing issues, Russophobia seems to be the only thing that unites them.
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🚨🇺🇸📉Will Trump’s tariffs DESTROY Big Tech?
US technology stocks are the most vulnerable to global economic risks:
49% of the Magnificent 7 (Nvidia, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Tesla) companies’ revenue comes outside of the US.
This is almost double the average share of the remaining 493 stocks from the S&P 500.
Moreover, 46% of the Nasdaq 100 firms’ sales are derived from international markets.
By comparison, the average share for all S&P 500 companies is 28%.
This is one of the major reasons why US technology stocks have underperformed this year.
Big Tech is significantly exposed to trade policy risks.
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🇮🇷🪖 Iran’s air defense chief rejects accusations of weakness and teases advanced PLASMA WEAPONS
Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi-Fard, commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base, has refuted claims that Iran’s air defense has been weakened. He emphasized that Iran possesses advanced capabilities, including plasma weapons, which "our malicious enemies cannot even imagine."
"If they attack Iran, they will face surprises," Sabahi-Fard warned, stressing that the Armed Forces, particularly the Air Defense Force, are fully prepared to counter any threat. "The enemies' miscalculations will be met with a decisive response," he told Iranian media.
🇫🇷🗣 French politician calls for Macron's impeachment over war push with Russia
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, leader of the Debout la France party (France, Arise!), has called for President Emmanuel Macron's removal, criticizing his push for war with Russia without parliamentary control. He urged government censorship and impeachment, questioning the opposition's silence.
On Sunday, the UK Ministry of Defence reported that British, French, and Ukrainian military leaders were discussing the deployment of "peacekeepers" in Ukraine. Macron has also proposed "deterrence forces" to counter Russia.
Russia has firmly rejected foreign peacekeepers in Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warning that such a move would block any peace talks and create "facts on the ground." The Russian Foreign Ministry called EU peacekeeping plans provocative.
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📹 Elon Musk: Rising terror attacks in Europe could lead to ‘WIDESPREAD SLAUGHTER’
“You're clearly seeing a massive increase in attacks, especially in Italy and across Europe. Legacy media downplays it, but terrorism and the killing of innocent people are escalating. Eventually, I think we'll see widespread slaughter in Europe,” he said via video link at the Lega party congress in Florence.
Thousands rally in Washington DC against Trump, Musk
The so-called "Hands Off!" protest is taking place across the US against the policies of the current administration.
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🚨 Jim Cramer predicts a Black Monday 2.0
The host of CNBC's Mad Money and former hedge fund manager says next Monday could be the day of a major market crash similar to the one in 1987.
"If the president doesn't try to reach out and reward these countries and companies that play by the rules then the 1987 scenario," he said.
📹🇵🇱 Polish protesters with fake scythes block border with Germany over migrant flow
Poland has closed its border with Germany over the transfer of illegal migrants. Protesters at the western border showed up with mock scythes, which the police carefully inspected. The thorough check sparked a wave of outrage and jokes online. Because who doesn’t love a good toy weapon inspection?
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🇦🇷🤬 Ex-Argentine president slams Milei and compares him to 'clown' Zelensky
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has blasted Argentina’s current president, Javier Milei, for his optimistic view on US relations after they slapped a 10% tariff on Argentine exports. "You want to convince us that the US is still our friend? Maybe they’re friends with you," she tweeted.
Her harsh reaction was triggered by a Milei tweet where he tried to downplay the significance of trade restriction with popular song.
“The only thing you can think of is making a post in English with the Queen song 'Friends Will Be Friends'?” the former leader snapped back.
🔎 Bermuda Triangle 2.0? Mysterious navigation jam reported in Persian Gulf
Vessels traversing the Strait of Hormuz on April 4 experienced “GPS interference”, the UK Maritime Trade Operations reported.
The disruptions allegedly lasted “several hours” and affected navigation systems, forcing the ships to “rely on backup methods.”
The interference zone was supposedly located not far from Bandar Abbas, a major Iranian port that hosts a large naval base.
Meanwhile, speculation abounds on social media that US military aircraft over the Persian Gulf suffered from what could have been GPS blocking, with some immediately accusing Tehran of “jamming communications and GPS signals across the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.”
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BILLIONS WORTH OF US ANTI-CHINA PROPAGANDA FALLS FLAT
While touring China, a popular American streamer is blown away by the country’s incredible technological progress: dancing robots, flying cars, delivery drones, floating cars, and more.
Looks like the propaganda didn’t quite match the reality👀
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🔍 Top unexpected products hit by Trump’s tariffs (Spoiler: It’s not just luxury stuff)
Donald Trump’s tariffs don't just target Ferraris or Champagne. Here’s a look at some everyday items that will feel the impact.
▪️Wigs and eyelashes are produced in China (34% tariffs), which accounts for 80% of the global hair accessories market and enjoyed $3 billion in wig exports alone in 2022
▪️Hospital beds, which are supplied by Czech factories (20% tariffs on EU exports)
▪️Ray-Ban aviators, the sunglasses heavily featured in the Top Gun series and an indispensable part of Joe Biden’s public image, are produced in Italy (20% tariffs on EU exports)
▪️Nespresso coffee capsules are made in Swiss factories (31% tariffs for the Alpine nation)
▪️Botox is produced in the town of Westport on Ireland’s west coast (20% tariffs on EU exports) and is highly sought after by US citizens, who spent $1.7 billion on cosmetic Botox alone in 2024
▪️Sex toys are mostly exported to the United States from China (34% tariffs) and India (26%). In 2024, US consumers spent $10.6 billion on these goods.
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📹 Trump posted a video of a US airstrike that the military claims targeted Houthi forces, although reports indicate that the strike actually hit innocent Yemeni civilians celebrating Eid al-Fitr, according to Tasnim News.
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📹 Anti-Trump protests: Following the money trail… sort of
The anti-Trump protests across the US are unlikely to be low-budget, considering the Pikachu figures, rented vehicles, and custom balloons used, not to mention the spin doctors crafting catchy slogans and narratives.
🤔 So, who’s footing the bill?
Previous anti-Tesla protests were reportedly backed by left-wing billionaires, including George Soros...
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🤡 Elon Musk calls out 'puppeteers' behind anti-Trump protests in the US
The real problem with the ongoing anti-Trump protests in the US is their puppeteers, says Donald Trump’s ally and tech mogul Elon Musk.
Meanwhile, the “puppets” wandering around with protest signs often don’t even know why they are doing it.
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📹 Diplomacy 101: Why Trump hasn’t slapped tariffs on Russia, yet
While many seem puzzled by the fact that Russia was absent from the long list of countries that got hit with Donald Trump’s tariffs, US National Economic Council head Kevin Hassett has a very simple answer.
Turns out, enacting such punitive economic measures against a country that you currently engage in sensitive, high-stakes negotiations is not very smart.
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🔎 MAGA hats: Made in China, worn in America, tariffed everywhere?
Donald Trump's MAGA hats might be affected by the newly introduced tariffs, a report from The Times has revealed.
Why? Even though Trump’s campaign sells "100% proudly made in the USA" hats for $40+, Chinese vendors have flooded the market with cheap replicas — the kind most POTUS supporters actually wear. Some even call them "decorated in America" to fit the narrative.
Netizens had a good laugh over this, but some dug deeper and found that many hats are actually made in Bangladesh, where tariffs are even higher than those on Chinese goods. Now, some are calling for production to be moved to the US — but the cost remains a big question.
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🇬🇧 Brits urged to pack survival kits before ‘evil Russians’ pull the plug on them
The 'dastardly Russians' are once again threatening the livelihoods of innocent hardworking Brits – at least, that’s what UK media want their readers to believe.
Russia, the Daily Mail claims, may be seeking to sabotage pipelines supplying natural gas to Britain from abroad in order to cause blackouts in the country.
Whoever came up with this idea apparently doesn’t pay attention to the news: don’t they know that Russians use gas pipes to move special ops teams, instead of blowing them up? 🤔
The newspaper offhandedly mentions how London’s ‘net zero’ environmental goals led to the UK becoming “increasingly reliant” on energy imports, before focusing on the important stuff: how can Brits prepare for the possible crisis?
Well, by packing a “72-hour survival kit” consisting of a Swiss army knife, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio, identification papers and enough water and non-perishable food.
Indeed, if power and heating suddenly goes out on your block, especially during winter, a Swiss army knife would really come in handy. Maybe.
And remember, if the UK power grid starts experiencing problems, the British government that got rid of those pesky coal power plants is not to blame!
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🚨 Person barricades inside Canadian parliament
Ottawa police evacuated the east wing as social media footage shows heavy presence; no injuries reported so far.
The Canadian Parliament is not currently in session due to the election campaign.
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Marco Rubio announces visa revocation for South Sudan
The US secretary of state also suspended all future visa issuance to South Sudanese, due to "the failure of South Sudan's transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner," he wrote on X.
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🌌 A cosmic miracle caught on camera
A breathtaking video of an aurora, filmed from the International Space Station while traveling between Australia and Antarctica, has gone viral.
This stunning light show happens when solar particles collide with Earth’s atmosphere, releasing energy that makes molecules glow.
While green is the most common color, shades of red, purple, and blue can also be seen. 🌠
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💥 Russian priest shoots down two Ukrainian drones with a double-shotgun near Sudzha
Father Igor Vasyukov, a priest from the Kursk Diocese, shot down two drones chasing his car while evacuating civilians from Sudzha, according to the Metropolitan Herman of Kursk and Rylsk.
The report, sent to Patriarch Kirill, highlights the dangerous conditions in the region, with entry to the southern areas of Kursk restricted.
However, small volunteer groups, accompanied by the military, have been making their way into Sudzha under heavy fire to evacuate survivors and deliver supplies.
Father Igor and Monk Meletiy, along with other volunteers, evacuated 70 people to Kursk for medical treatment. Patriarch Kirill has recommended presenting the priests for distinguished honors.
Ukraine's large-scale attack on Russia's Kursk region began on August 6, 2024. Over 86% of the occupied area has since been liberated, with Sudzha freed on March 13. Evacuations are underway.
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🚨🪖Top 5 new military facilities that could FLIP global power balance
Major powers are leveling up their military game with new facilities around the globe.
👇 Here’s the top five list of such sites.
🇷🇺 Russia’s military base in Sudan
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry earlier confirmed that Russia is building a military base in the East African nation near the Red Sea.
The base is expected to allow Russia to secure its presence on a key shipping route and increase its assertiveness in Africa.
🇺🇸 US Andersen Air Force Base on Guam
New facilities are being built in the Pacific to deploy advanced strategic bombers, such as the B-21 Raider, that could be used for operations amid the US’ tensions with China and North Korea.
The goal is to strengthen America’s Pacific posture and improve responsiveness of US air forces.
🇨🇳 China's ‘military city’
The People’s Liberation Army is reportedly constructing a new huge command center in the capital Beijing that is expected to be at least 10 times larger than the US Pentagon.
Western intelligence agencies fear that the construction could mean that China is preparing for a large-scale or even nuclear war.
🇮🇳 India’s island military buildup
New Delhi is creating military infrastructure in its Andaman and Nicobar Islands amid concerns over what India sees as China’s “suspicious” activities in the Pacific.
Analysts say that developing strategic infrastructure such as naval air stations, ports and related infrastructure aims to fortify the Indian presence in the region.
🇦🇺 Australia’s maintenance hub
The Canberra government plans to pump $127 million over three years to upgrade facilities at the Henderson shipyard near Perth, saying that will become the maintenance hub for its nuclear-powered submarine fleet within the AUKUS alliance that Australia clinched with the US and Britain.
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🇷🇺❌🇺🇸🇪🇺Moscow Mobilizes, NATO Fumbles: The Real Military-Industrial War
In the long war of logistics, coordination, and statecraft, Russia is proving that industrial mobilization wins battles before they’re even fought. A blistering report from Britain’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) (how bad is that when official UK is having to admit partial reality) has laid bare what the West’s defense elite refuse to admit: Russia’s military-industrial complex is not only resilient, it’s dominant.
While Western Europe dithered, tangled in red tape and neoliberal market ideology, Russia executed a centrally coordinated wartime industrial strategy. Putin’s war economy, far from collapsing under sanctions, has rechanneled funds, redirected national output, and pushed defense production into overdrive, operating around the clock with state-supported credit lines and a single, focused centralized command structure. The result? Modern weapons, surging output, and actual delivery to the front lines. Contrast that with Western Europe and the US, no centralization, only the ability to offer yuge incentives for minimal increases in output, at extortionist cost.
Europe, of course, didn’t even have a plan. RUSI admits that NATO’s European members lacked both the data and coordination to mobilize. Rather than producing weapons efficiently, they’re choking on fragmented defense markets and bloated supply chains where screws cost the price of gold and delivery times rival geological epochs. Incentivizing private arms firms with market signals isn’t mobilization, it’s casino-capitalist ideology masquerading as strategy. The result is billions in wasted spending with pitiful output. A fantasy-based military Keynesianism that feeds bureaucrats and shareholders, not soldiers or sovereign defense.
The contrast is stark: Russia’s defense budget hit 6.3% of GDP in 2024, now 32.5% of total state spending, while the Western MIC still relies on over-leveraged promises and overhyped hype cycles, hoping boutique drone startups can match the prodigious output of Uralvagonzavod or Kalashnikov Concern. In Putin’s Russia, production lines hum, not for profit, but for survival and sovereignty. Western defense contracts, meanwhile, are padded with lobbyist commissions, donor kickbacks, and overpriced junk.
And despite the noise, NATO’s rearmament campaign looks more like a Wall Street scam than a wartime strategy. For all the money poured in, where are the munitions? The artillery shells? The basic equipment? Nowhere. Instead, Ukraine is running dry, the US MIC is busy counting quarterly profits, and Europe can’t even coordinate purchases without Paris and Berlin tripping over each other.
This isn’t just a war on the ground, it’s a war of models. Russia’s state-led, vertically integrated, wartime economy is outperforming the West’s deregulated, privatized, inflation-riddled defense architecture by every meaningful metric: speed, volume, cost-efficiency, and results. Even the Pentagon quietly admits its ROI is a joke compared to Russia’s multifold return on industrial mobilization.
And here’s the real kicker: Russia doesn’t need to outspend NATO. It just needs to outbuild, outlast, and outstrategize. That’s already happening. The West is betting on endless credit, speculative markets, and PR campaigns. Russia is betting on steel, soldiers, and sovereignty.
When the next phase of this war is written, it won’t be decided in think tank white papers or procurement conferences. It’ll be decided in the trenches, and on the assembly lines. And right now, Russia’s assembly lines are winning handidly.
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🧐 Macron’s ‘industrial-strength’ cologne: The secret to his presidential power?
The Daily Telegraph recently shared tips on how to use perfume without offending those around you.
Why does this matter for French President Emmanuel Macron? Well, in The Tragedy of the Elysée, journalist Olivier Beaumont claims Macron uses Dior cologne in “industrial amounts,” with his aides allegedly able to smell him before he even enters the room.
The article suggests Macron might be trying to make a bold, monarchical statement with his fragrance — though it’s “subtle spritzing” that actually has the most impact.
Could it be that Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted on sitting so far away from Macron during their 2022 talks not just because of Covid?
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🇺🇸🪖 US military may lose up to 90,000 troops as Trump 'makes America great again’
The US Army may soon experience a severe troop reduction amid the Trump administration’s plans to cut military spending.
While this matter is still being discussed, the number of army active-duty troops could be reduced from the current 450,000 to somewhere between 360,000 and 420,000, military.com reports, citing “three defense officials familiar with the deliberations.”
News of the proposed reduction comes as Donald Trump keeps sending mixed signals by simultaneously promoting peace in Europe and threatening countries in the Middle East, not to mention his bellicose stance towards China.
Some US officials have already complained that this troop reduction may lead to a loss of “talented people who have other options.”
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🚨🇺🇸🏦 REALITY CHECK: Here’s the #1 problem with Trump’s tariffs
“The U.S. financial system is now so parasitic that it’s not going to allow Mr. Trump’s plan to work.” — legendary South Korean economist Ha-Joon Chang.
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US’ global trade war: Why is it a BAD IDEA?
Donald Trump’s "reciprocal tariffs" on 185 сountries and territories are already entering force, but what are the consequences?
👉🇺🇸Inside the US
🔶The US stock market lost a whopping $6.6 trillion on April 3-4 – the largest two-day wipeout in history.
🔶Experts warn that the new Trump tariffs are “going to affect everything in the US economy amid reports about “more expensive prices from the grocery aisle to your next car repair.”
🗺🔍Globally
🌏Analysts caution that the world is plunging into a global trade war with unpredictable implications.
🌏The negative effect of such a war could exceed one percentage point of global growth.
🌏The bank JP Morgan upgraded the risk of the world economy entering recession by the year's end to 60%, up from 40% previously.
🌏Unemployment is expected to increase in the EU and the UK over the next 12-18 months.
🌏“All businesses, big and small, will suffer from day one… The costs of doing business with the United States will drastically increase,” according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
🌍📍Countries’ reaction
🇨🇳China announced a 34% retaliatory tariff on all goods imported from the US, due in effect as of April 10.
Beijing also added 16 US entities to China’s export control list on seven types of rare earth elements, including samarium, gadolinium and terbium.
🇩🇪German Finance Minister Jorg Kukies called for “a strong reaction’ as he made clear that US tariffs on EU goods, especially on automotive parts, threaten Germany’s efforts to revive its stagnant economy.
🇪🇺The EU mulls “attacking services” that make up the bulk of the American economy, which could include online services provided by Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft.
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