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The Chinese military staged a second day of exercises around Taiwan on Wednesday, launching live-fire strikes in the East China Sea and practicing blockade operations near crucial shipping lanes to the east and west of the island.

China has ramped up the frequency and complexity of its military drills around Taiwan in recent years – exercises that analysts say serve both as critical preparation and strategic cover for a potential future invasion of the self-governing island.

On Wednesday, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched exercises – codenamed “Strait Thunder-2025A” – in the middle and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait, focusing on testing the troops’ capabilities of “joint blockade and control” and “precision strikes on key targets,” the Eastern Theater Command’s spokesperson Senior Colonel Shi Yi said in a statement.

As part of the drills, the ground army of the Eastern Theater Command conducted “live-fire long-range strike drills in designated areas of the East China Sea,” Shi said.

China’s military launches live-fire exercise in escalation of blockade drills near Taiwan https://t.co/iTEzQ2eMZi

— primenews (@primeNPU) April 2, 2025

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Val Kilmer, star of “Top Gun,” “The Doors” and several other classic films, died Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to his family.

Val’s daughter, Mercedes Kilmer, told the New York Times — which first reported the death — her dad died of pneumonia. He had been diagnosed with a throat tumor back in 2014, and had to be rushed to UCLA Medical Center in 2015 to treat severe bleeding in his throat. The tumor was the result of oral cancer.

Val famously played the lead role of rock star Jim Morrison in the film about The Doors, and also starred as Bruce Wayne in “Batman Forever.”

One of his most beloved roles was at Iceman in “Top Gun” … a character he managed to reprise in the 2022 sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick” despite his health challenges at the time.

The filmmakers used AI to recreate Val’s voice, which he’d lost at that point, due to the throat cancer.

Prolific American actor Val Kilmer, who was propelled to fame with "Top Gun" and went on to starring roles as Batman and Jim Morrison, has died at age 65, the New York Times has reported. https://t.co/iSQaKijCQ7 pic.twitter.com/kXMmdtgJY7

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 2, 2025

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Europe has “a strong plan” for striking back at the United States in response to Donald Trump’s tariff hikes “if necessary,” a top official said Tuesday on the eve of a long-anticipated announcement of massive import levies by the US president.

For weeks, Trump has promoted April 2 as “Liberation Day” in America, when a number of hefty tariffs will be unveiled to implement his administration’s radical economic agenda. The United States has already announced a sharp increase in tariffs on all imports of steel, aluminum and cars.

“Europe has not started this confrontation,” Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union’s executive, said in a speech. “We do not necessarily want to retaliate but, if it is necessary, we have a strong plan to retaliate and we will use it.”

On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would reveal his tariff plan in a press conference Wednesday. She did not provide any details about what he would announce but suggested, as Trump has said repeatedly, that the president could unveil reciprocal tariffs, matching other countries’ tariffs dollar for dollar.

In her speech, von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said Europe was “open to negotiations.”

“We will approach these negotiations from a position of strength. Europe holds a lot of cards, from trade to technology to the size of our market,” she continued. “But this strength is also built on our readiness to take firm countermeasures if necessary. All instruments are on the table.”

Europe has a "strong plan" for striking back at the US in response to Trump's tariff hikes "if necessary," top EU official sayshttps://t.co/wRvsKeXKoF

— CNN (@CNN) April 1, 2025

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Days earlier, a US manufacturer delivered an advanced version of the F-16 fighter jet to officials in Taipei

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has launched a military exercise near the self-governed island of Taiwan, aimed at deterring “separatism,” the Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.

The drill includes the army, navy, air, and rocket forces, according to Colonel Shi Yi, the spokesman for the PLA’s Eastern Theater Command. The exercise focuses on joint sea-air combat readiness patrols, coordinated efforts to achieve comprehensive dominance, assaults on maritime and ground targets, and blockades of critical areas and sea lanes, the statement added.

Taiwanese officials cited by Reuters said the PLA had sent ten military ships toward the island, to which its military responded with their own naval deployment.

The American Institute in Taiwan, which functions similarly to an embassy, has described the exercise as proof that China is “not a responsible actor and has no problem putting the region’s security and prosperity at risk,” as quoted by the news agency.

China announces military exercise near Taiwan
Days earlier, a US manufacturer delivered an advanced version of the F-16 fighter jet to officials in Taipeihttps://t.co/x5Zo7D2pZL pic.twitter.com/5laObJylpy

— rbg4lif 🟥⬛🟩 (@rbg4lif) April 1, 2025

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An unidentified virus has been reported in multiple regions of Russia, with patients exhibiting persistent high fever and severe coughing that includes the expectoration of blood.

Russian media outlets, including the state agency RIA Novosti and independent channel SHOT, reported on the emergence of the illness this week. Despite rising concern, health authorities have not disclosed the number of cases or hospital admissions.

The earliest symptoms reported by patients include general weakness and body aches, resembling typical seasonal illnesses. However, by the third or fourth day, patients describe an abrupt worsening of their condition. Many are reportedly bedridden, with fevers reaching up to 39 degrees Celsius and coughing so intense it leads to tears and blood-stained sputum.

One patient told SHOT that she began coughing blood five days into her illness. Despite testing for both influenza and Covid-19, her results were negative. Doctors reportedly noted similar symptoms across several patients but have not yet identified the pathogen.

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The veteran politician has also been barred from running for public office for five years over embezzlement charges

A Paris court has sentenced French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen to a four-year jail term, half of which is without parole, in a case involving the embezzlement of EU funds for her National Rally (RN) party. Le Pen has also been barred from running for president in 2027.

The verdict on Monday is the culmination of an extended case, in which RN and several of its senior figures were accused of diverting money meant for the offices of European Parliament members towards the national party structure. Le Pen and eight MEPs were found guilty of running the scheme between 2004 and 2016.

The five-year ban on participating in elections, which was requested by the prosecution, comes into effect immediately regardless of any appeal process. The top French Сonstitutional Сourt ruled last week in an unrelated case that such a punishment was legal under the basic law.

The court has reportedly allowed Le Pen to serve half of her jail time under home arrest monitored by an ankle bracelet. Others found guilty in the case on Monday were sentenced to serve time in prison, with punishments varying between 12 months and three years.

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At Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts, a startling cluster of brain tumor diagnoses has emerged among vaccinated nurses on the fifth-floor maternal care ward. Ten longtime staff members have been affected simultaneously, sparking alarm and raising questions about a potential link between mRNA vaccines and cancer.

One nurse, speaking anonymously to WBZ-TV, expressed the growing unease felt by her colleagues as cancer cases mount. “You’re going into work every day with that feeling in your gut, and it’s a lousy feeling,” she said, reflecting on her own brain tumor diagnosis. “It’s getting to the point where the number just increases, and you start saying, am I crazy thinking this? This can’t just be a coincidence.”

Mass General Brigham/Newton-Wellesley Hospital provided a statement to WBZ-TV saying an investigation found “no environmental risks.”

“After we became aware of reported brain tumors in individuals who currently or previously had worked in the same area of the hospital, we conducted an extensive investigation in collaboration with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Newton-Wellesley Safety Officer, radiation and pharmaceutical safety offices, and external environmental consultants.

Every staff member who came forward was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the Occupational Health and Safety team to evaluate each diagnosis in the context of their individual medical history and risk factors. To evaluate for any possible environmental exposures in that area of the hospital, comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines began in December.

The investigation found no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor. We presented these findings to relevant stakeholder groups, including the staff on the unit and the Massachusetts Nursing Association, and have held forums to meet with clinical and Occupational Health leaders to answer their questions. The hospital is providing the MNA with the test results from the investigation, including those of several external environmental firms.

Based on these results, we can confidently reassure our dedicated team members at Mass General Brigham/Newton-Wellesley Hospital and all our patients that there is no environmental risk at our facility. As always, the health and wellbeing of our staff, clinicians, and patients is our absolute top priority,” – Jonathan Sonis, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs and Sandy Muse, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services. 

At Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts, a startling cluster of brain tumor diagnoses has emerged among vaccinated nurses on the fifth-floor maternal care ward. Ten longtime staff members have been affected simultaneously, sparking alarm and raising questions about a… pic.twitter.com/ADHAwQWjVN

— “Sudden And Unexpected” (@toobaffled) March 30, 2025

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I think the Admin/programmer is the drummer?? 😂

Just noticed this on his X account..

Lacrimosa- full of tears

Edit note:

This> A Prelude for the world https://t.co/nsVSfnEbAg via @YouTube

— G̷-̷B̷z̷ -̷ ̷ג̷ב̷ר̷י̷א̷ל (@GZeroConspiracy) March 20, 2025

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