The VICE Morning Bulletin
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The VICE Morning Bulletin

The VICE Morning Bulletin

Trump launches a missile attack on Syria, Twitter sues the US government to stop the unmasking of an account, scientists identify a planet with an atmosphere, and more.

Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by VICE.

US News

Trump Orders Missile Attack on Syria
US warships fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase Thursday night at President Donald Trump's order. This was in response to Tuesday's chemical attack on civilians in the country, which the Pentagon said US intelligence showed the Syrian government had conducted using the Shayrat Airfield, which the US then targeted. Trump said Syrian president Bashar al Assad had "choked out the lives of helpless men, women, and children" and said it was a matter of national security "to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons." The Syrian military said six people had been killed in the US strike. —CNN

Twitter Sues Government to Stop Unmasking of 'Alt' Account
Twitter filed a lawsuit against the federal government to protect the identity of an anonymous user. The social network seeks to stop the US Customs and Border Protection agency from unmasking the identity of @ALT_USCIS, an account that has been critical of the agency under Trump. Twitter's lawyers said identifying the user would have "a grave chilling effect" on accounts "created to voice dissent."—VICE News

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Man Accuses Seattle Mayor of Sexual Abuse
A 46-year-old man has filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against Seattle mayor Ed Murray, alleging the politician "raped and molested" him over a period of several years in the 1980s. The man, identified only as "D.H.," claims he was 15 and addicted to crack cocaine when he was first approached by Murray and invited to his apartment, according to a court filing. Two other men have also accused Murray of similar crimes. —The Seattle Times

Trump Claims 'Friendship' with Chinese President
President Donald Trump said he and Chinese president Xi Jinping have "developed a friendship" at the beginning of a two-day summit at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Joking that he had "gotten nothing, absolutely nothing" after an initial discussion with Xi, Trump said: "I think, long-term, we are going to have a very, very great relationship."—NBC News

International News

Duterte Orders Troops to Philippine-Claimed Islands in South China Sea
President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte sent troops to occupy uninhabited islands claimed by his country in the disputed South China Sea. A navy commander later stressed the Philippines would not try to occupy any new territory and would only upgrade facilities on "the existing areas that we claim." The move will likely anger China, which also has claims in the body of water.—Reuters

Basque Separatist Group Eta to Give Up Arms
Militant group Eta, a Basque separatist organization pushing for independence from Spain and France, has announced that it will lay down its arms. A statement reveals the group is "giving up all its weaponry" on Saturday. The Spanish interior minister, Juan Ignacio Zoido, said Eta should now "dissolve itself and disappear."—BBC News

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Anti-Maduro Protests Turn Violent in Venezuela
Venezuelan opposition protestors and security forces clashed Thursday during demonstrations against President Nicolás Maduro on the streets of Caracas. Protestors blocked a highway in the capital before police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them. The violence follows a decision by the Supreme Court last week to remove powers from the opposition-led congress, a decision since overturned.—Al Jazeera

Girl Discovered Living with Monkeys in Indian Forest
A girl believed to be ten to 12 years old has been found living with a group of monkeys in a forest area of Uttar Pradesh in India. According to D.K. Singh, chief doctor at the hospital where she is now recovering after being found by woodcutters, the girl had been walking around on her arms and legs.—AP

Everything Else

Showbiz Royalty Pays Tribute to Don Rickles
Tributes have flooded in for legendary insult comic Don Rickles, who died Thursday at the age of 90. Chris Rock called him "the love of my life," and Martin Scorsese said he "made comedy into an art form." Mel Brooks described Rickles as "one of the bravest, funniest, and sweetest guys that ever performed."—Variety

Kendrick Lamar Album Set for Release Next Week
A page for the new Kendrick Lamar album appeared on iTunes Thursday night, revealing an "expected release" date of April 14. Currently showing a black cover and the title ALBUM, the Apple entry also lists 14 songs.—Spin

Scientists Discover Atmosphere of Exoplanet
For the first time, astronomers have identified an Earth-sized planet surrounded by an atmosphere—a potential sign of alien life. Researchers discovered the planet GJ 1132b, 39 light years away, in 2015, but have now discovered that it has an atmosphere. —Wired

Tupac Biopic Trailer Released
The trailer for Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me has been released ahead of its June premiere, promising to be the rapper's "true and untold story." The teaser gives us glimpses of Tupac's early days, his relationship with Biggie, and a Black Panther protest.—i-D

Another New Gorillaz Track Dropped
One week on from a four-song onslaught, another track from the upcoming Gorillaz album Humanz has been released. The song, "Let Me Out," features G.O.O.D. music head Pusha T and legendary soul singer Mavis Staples.—Noisey

Indonesian Hackers Bought Motorcycles After $308,000 Theft
Indonesian hackers allegedly stole roughly $308,000 worth of airline tickets from an online travel site before selling them on Facebook to buy expensive motorcycles. Self-confessed leader Haikal, 19, told local media he bought a Ducati.—Motherboard