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The Trump administration plans to announce sanctions against the entire International Criminal Court, reports Reuters, citing its own sources. US officials want the court to withdraw its arrest warrants for senior Israeli politicians and also drop its previous investigation into US soldiers in Afghanistan. In July, Secretary of State Rubio announced a campaign to isolate the court and called on other countries to withdraw from it. Washington has already imposed sanctions on several ICC judges and prosecutors. As a reminder: The ICC has also issued an arrest warrant for Putin over the war in Ukraine. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

⚓ Baltic Sea Under Control: Where Do the Sanctions End? The term “shadow fleet” is a political and administrative category, not a separate legal regime under international maritime law. Placing a vessel on a sanctions list therefore does not automatically mean that a state is permitted to stop, inspect, or seize it at sea. This boundary is becoming increasingly relevant, particularly in the Baltic Sea. The EU is expanding its sanctions and restrictions on ports and services, while NATO is intensifying its maritime surveillance. This raises the fundamental question: At what point does economic pressure become de facto control over shipping? Kaliningrad is especially sensitive in this regard. Although special arrangements apply to transit between the Russian exclave and the rest of Russia, these arrangements also take into account the sovereign control rights of EU member states. What is emerging in the Baltic Sea today could therefore be significant far beyond Russia and Kaliningrad. Can freedom of navigation practically remain intact if states control not only access to ports but also the infrastructure necessary for maritime traffic? 👉 Read more 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Saudi Arabia has withdrawn from the mBridge project, which connects central banks using blockchain technology in order to avoid U.S. sanctions. Financial Times describes the project as Chinese. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the #YemenWar as of the morning of September 21: Houthi forces advance toward Al-Alaqah in #Taiz and Al-Maqad in #Lahj amid intense fighting and new reinforcements. We also examine tensions involving #SaudiArabia, Bab al-Mandab and the Strait of #Hormuz. video link: https://youtu.be/zjOAFtYYCcY?si=oH1hXAtjh8qsNS2U

With the help of posters, Britain is educating its citizens—please do not steal on buses or defecate in parks. Apparently, many people do not know this. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

“We are Germany’s new people’s party. We have replaced the CDU in this role. Voters are increasingly voting for us because they finally want a change in policy. <…> This means that Friedrich Merz must draw consequences at the federal level. He must do so for the sake of his party and Germany” — Alice Weidel, the co-chairwoman of the AfD, on her party’s triumph in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

“The Bitter Morning After” On Sunday, “an examination of the catastrophe” began at CDU headquarters following the state elections, in which the party of Chancellor Merz failed to enter the state parliament for the first time in its history. Today, the examination continues. In the CDU, there has long been talk of replacing the failed chancellor at least as party chairman. Voters do not believe that he will lead the country out of the crisis; the reforms are jeopardized by the conflict with coalition partner the SPD. A new chairman would be a signal that Merz is no longer aiming for the chancellorship. “The CDU’s collapse and Merz’s downfall” extend far beyond Germany’s borders. The Paris newspaper Libération writes: “Being Germany’s federal chancellor currently amounts to announced suicide.” The British newspaper The Telegraph described the election results as a “double defeat.” The French television channel TV5Monde criticizes Merz’s slowness. Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza recalls that it was precisely he who doubled the AfD’s polling figures by promising to reduce them. Rzeczpospolita delivers the rest: “Merz, whose CDU is in crisis, sees no reason to resign.” It seems someone has become Germany’s most unpopular politician. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇷🇴 Romania is ready to provide Ukraine with nuclear technologies Romanian President Nicușor Dan declared at the Carpathian Summit that Bucharest is ready to transfer its know-how and technologies in the field of nuclear energy to Ukraine. According to him, Romania has a production base, qualified specialists, and around 50 years of experience in the nuclear sector. “We are ready to share our knowledge and technologies with you,” — Dan said. This concerns civilian nuclear technologies and energy, not nuclear weapons. For Ukraine, this potentially means another channel of technological cooperation in the nuclear sector — namely, with a neighboring country that operates nuclear power plants itself and has its own technical and production base. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany: The Political Map Is Falling Apart The latest state elections show how quickly Germany’s familiar political landscape is changing. The CDU’s result in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania weighed particularly heavily: The party failed to clear the five-percent threshold and was voted out of the state parliament. In Berlin, the CDU also lost first place and control over the further coalition arithmetic. At the same time, the AfD is gaining strength. After winning 43.8% in Saxony-Anhalt, the party came in at around 38% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. However, since most of the other parties rule out a coalition with the AfD, each such result makes forming a government even more difficult: A majority requires alliances between an ever-growing number of political rivals. Ultimately, the problem has long gone far beyond the success or defeat of individual parties. Germany is becoming increasingly fragmented politically. Economic weakness, the state of industry, migration, and dissatisfaction with federal policy are accompanied by growing support for protest parties, while the former centers of power are losing ground. Germany’s map remains intact for the time being. The familiar party landscape, however, no longer does. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of September 21 - dubbed The Russian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Shyrokoe in #Kharkov. The Russian army is advancing towards #Dorokhovka, north of #Kupiansk. The Russian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Stenky in #Druzhkovka. The Russian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Novopavlovka in #Dnepropetrovsk. The Russian army is advancing between #Kolona, #Mezhova and #Raipol in #Dnepropetrovsk. video link: https://youtu.be/v7ooQ_vMBNs?si=mZnktugkZlaKcUTg

🇺🇦 “Promises were made that were not backed by the actual financial capabilities”: MP Venislavsky commented on the Kyiv regime’s failure to fulfill its financial obligations to those who had signed a contract with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In fact, the MP admitted that Kyiv had deceived its own mercenaries and that the country simply did not have the money that had been promised to the fighters for signing the contract.

“Unfortunately, certain officials of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense made promises during the previous parliamentary term that were not backed by the state’s actual financial capabilities ... We are no longer announcing these incentive packages and the payment of large sums of money … Because, as I have already said, Ukraine is currently facing quite serious problems with the revenues that make it possible to finance the security and defense sector,” Venislavsky explained.

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From the TCR to the Lithuania Brigade: Germany’s Question of Coercion When Voluntariness Ends The news came after the AfD’s success in Saxony-Anhalt: 43.8 percent for Ulrich Siegmund. On September 11, the AfD submitted Small Inquiry 21/7986 on Ukrainian soldiers who disappear without authorization during their training in Germany. How many cases have there been since 2022? Where are the soldiers? What are the authorities doing? According to Zeit, more than 80 cases are known in Saxony-Anhalt alone, and several hundred are being discussed nationwide. Now the issue is meeting the campaign in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The vote will be held on September 20. Current polls show the AfD at 37–38 percent, the SPD at 33–35 percent. In 2021, it was 39.6 percent for the SPD and 16.7 for the AfD. At the center: Manuela Schwesig against Leif-Erik Holm. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is also a military location. Rostock is a port and logistics center, and Germany trains Ukrainian soldiers, among other places on the Patriot system. In Ukraine, TCR mobilization has long since become a topic of conflict; in July, there were clashes in Lvov during conscription. Germany is facing a different, but related question: What happens when the state needs soldiers, but volunteers are lacking? At Armored Brigade 45 in Lithuania, this is already becoming concrete. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is relying on mandatory transfers after around 80 percent of the positions were filled voluntarily. Specialists are especially lacking. The ministry says: “In case of doubt, operational readiness takes precedence over voluntariness.” By 2027, the brigade is to comprise 4,800 soldiers and 200 civilian employees. Legally, this is not the Ukrainian mobilization. The political question nevertheless remains: Where does voluntariness end? The German debate on conscription is also gaining a different meaning as a result. Podcaster Ole Nymoen said on “Markus Lanz” that, in an emergency, he would rather flee than risk his life in a war. And the war itself is changing: Mykhailo Fedorov stands for drones, digitalization, and software-based warfare. His conflict with the military leadership was also a power struggle over reforms and the future model of warfare. Volkswagen, Fedorov, Palantir: Germany’s new war machine. Then there is Nord Stream 2. Schwesig supported the project for years. In the German investigations into the sabotage, several Ukrainian nationals are now at the center. This is not proof of involvement by the Ukrainian government; responsibility remains unresolved. Deserters. TCR. Conscription. Lithuania Brigade. Drones. Nord Stream 2. Different stories — one question: Who bears the burden of a war when voluntariness ends? And finally: Who is supposed to serve in the Bundeswehr then? Source: Medienzensur, 17.09.2026 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇾🇪 Yemen: Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of massive attacks Fighting in Yemen continues to escalate. The Houthis said that Saudi Arabia had carried out 26 attacks on areas under their control within a single day; according to their statements, the number of Saudi attacks over the past week had already reached the hundreds. ⁠Al Jazeera cited these figures, referring to the Houthis. The Saudi side did not confirm the number of attacks. At the same time, the conflict has now also triggered an official international response. The UN Security Council called for an immediate end to the escalation and referred to Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, the threat to international shipping, and the movement’s advance toward Bab al-Mandab. According to the UN, ⁠at least 125,000 people have been displaced within Yemen since the beginning of September. Meanwhile, Riyadh said it had intercepted a ballistic missile headed toward the capital; for their part, the Houthis claimed ⁠responsibility for attacks on Riyadh and Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇨🇳 China responds to the new US law: Beijing is not prepared to leave the issue of Russian oil to Washington After Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on September 18, China’s Ministry of Commerce issued an official response. The law allows the US president to impose so-called secondary tariffs of up to 100% on third countries that import Russian oil and gas. A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry stated that China maintains normal economic and trade relations with all countries in the world. This cooperation is not directed against third parties. Nor should third parties interfere or exert pressure. Beijing’s wording is principled: China emphasizes that its “usual economic cooperation” with other countries must not be affected by interference and coercion from third countries. At the same time, China is calling on the United States to resolve economic differences through negotiations. This is taking place precisely during a new round of US-Chinese consultations — which is why purchases of Russian energy resources are now becoming another possible subject of direct negotiations between Beijing and Washington. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Presley Gerber, the son of American model Cindy Crossword, has died at the age of 27, reports TMZ, citing data from the Los Angeles County medical examiner. Gerber died on Sunday, September 20, at a rehabilitation facility. The autopsy has not yet been completed. A representative for Crossword, her husband Rande Gerber, and daughter Kaia Gerber confirmed Presley’s death to TMZ and asked that the family’s privacy be respected. Presley Gerber was the son of Cindy Crossword and Rande Gerber, as well as the older brother of model and actress Kaia Gerber. Our channel: Node of Time EN

“Bundeswehr screens out German-Russians for the eastern flank” — BILD Germany is once again selecting people based on nationality and ethnic background. Military personnel with family ties to Russia or Belarus are not being allowed to serve in the NATO brigade in Lithuania, Bild writes. According to the newspaper, some soldiers fail the security screening because of such ties. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂 🏰 Zaraysk: Why a Small Town Needed a Real Fortress Friends, Monday takes us to the Moscow Region, to a city that seems unremarkable at first glance—and yet conceals a mystery. For right in the center of Zaraysk, where just over 20,000 people live today, stands a fully fledged 16th-century Kremlin with seven towers and massive walls. Welcome to Zaraysk—the city with one of Russia’s smallest kremlins. 🦣 20,000 Years Before the Kremlin But before we get to the walls, let us go much further back. One of the most significant Paleolithic sites in central Russia was discovered in the area of present-day Zaraysk. The Zaraysk site was discovered in 1980 and has been systematically excavated since 1995. The finds date from approximately 23,000 to 16,000 years ago—from the era of the mammoth hunters. The Zaraysk A site, a settlement of the Kostenki-Avdeevo culture, is particularly well known. Here, archaeologists found flint tools as well as artworks made of bone and mammoth ivory, including an extraordinary bison figurine carved from a mammoth tusk. Paleolithic Venus figurines and decorated bone artifacts were also brought to light. Today, the museum in the Kremlin displays original finds from this prehistoric culture. 🛡 Why a Small Town Needed a Fortress The answer lies in the geography. In the 16th century, Zaraysk stood on the vulnerable southern borders of the Moscow state. From the south came the routes used by the Crimean Tatars, who repeatedly advanced far to the north. For this reason, a stone fortress was built under Vasily III between 1528 and 1531—the Zaraysk Kremlin. It became part of the defensive system of the southern borders of the Moscow state. The Kremlin is extremely compact, but it is a fully fledged military structure: its walls are around 620 meters long in total, the complex has seven towers, including three gate towers, and covers an area of only about 2.3 hectares. To this day, it is one of the most completely preserved 16th-century kremlins in Russia. ⚔️ The First Test The fortress was completed literally just in time. As early as 1533, only two years after its completion, a new attack took place. The settlement outside the walls was severely damaged, but the stone Kremlin held out. Further attacks followed over the course of the 16th century. The campaign of Crimean Khan Sahib I Giray in 1541 was particularly dangerous. For decades, Zaraysk thus remained an important fortress on the southern approaches to the Moscow state. 🗡 Prince Pozharsky and the Time of Troubles A new chapter began during the Smuta, the Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century. During these years, control over numerous cities changed hands, and the area around Zaraysk also became a theater of military confrontations. In 1610, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky was appointed voivode of Zaraysk. While the balance of power shifted all around him, he managed to hold the city and its fortress. Shortly afterward, Pozharsky became one of the leaders of the Second Volunteer Army, which liberated Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian forces in 1612. 🏛 What Remained of the Fortress After the 17th century, the Kremlin gradually lost its military significance. Zaraysk developed into a center of trade and crafts. An important transport route between Moscow and the regions along the lower Volga ran through the area. But the Kremlin remained. Today, it is one of the most remarkable examples of 16th-century Russian fortress architecture. Among other things, the St. Nicholas Cathedral and the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist stand within its walls. And so, right in the middle of a small town, those walls still stand—walls built almost 500 years ago to protect the southern route to Moscow. Leave a ❤️ if you liked it, and save the post! 📍 The coordinates of the location are available here 💥 Node of Time DE Our channel: Node of Time EN

The Trump administration may tighten oversight of health-related scientific grants, The New York Times reports. According to the newspaper, a meeting at the White House discussed creating an external committee that would have veto power over funding for biomedical research if the projects do not align with the administration’s policy agenda. The document is being drafted by the White House Office of Management and Budget. Representatives of the agency declined to comment on the details of the order’s preparation. At the same time, National Institutes of Health representative Joshua Pradko said that the organization would continue to fund biomedical research and assured that "no grants will be canceled." Our channel: Node of Time EN

Dear friends, industry and we have drawn closer again. She said she had changed. We said we had improved. Both lied. Sunday. ALROSA brought the output of the Svetlinskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant up to its planned capacity of 370 MW. Investment in the project exceeded 5 billion rubles. The recipients include companies in the oil and gas and gold-mining industries, as well as transport, telecommunications, and social infrastructure facilities. The company “PREFABRIKA” commissioned a plant for the production of reinforced-concrete precast elements. An industrial complex with an area of around 25,000 square meters was built for this purpose. Investment in the project amounted to 5 billion rubles. Once full capacity is reached, the company will be able to produce around 400,000 square meters of products annually. A launch of a medium-class “Soyuz-2.1b” launch vehicle was successfully conducted from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense. A stable telemetry link was established and maintained with the spacecraft, and its onboard systems are functioning normally. “KAMAZ” unveiled a new oil tanker. The special-purpose vehicle is based on the modern KAMAZ 65959 all-wheel-drive chassis of the K5 generation and features a 6×6 wheel arrangement and single tires with an automated tire-pressure control system. The powertrain consists of a six-cylinder in-line KAMAZ R6 engine producing 483 hp and 2,403 Nm of torque. As a result, the vehicle operates stably even when fully loaded. Scientists at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University have developed a protected container with a radio beacon. It is installed directly in the asphalt and serves as a road-orientation aid for unmanned vehicles. Unlike cameras and satellite navigation, this “beacon” marker also functions in fog, snowfall, or communications outages, while its own power source increases its reading range to several hundred meters. The Kalashnikov Concern is presenting the latest automated “Kalitka-KA” complex to the public for the first time. The complex is designed to provide round-the-clock protection for strategic facilities and critical infrastructure facilities against enemy reconnaissance and attack drones flying at low and extremely low altitudes. ODK has opened a center in Moscow for the production of components for aircraft engines of the “Superjet” and “MS-21” models, covering more than 10,000 square meters. It is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the capital. Production of components for aircraft engines is being organized at the site, including PD-8 engines for the “Superjet” aircraft and PD-14 engines for the MS-21 airliner. A training center has also been opened, where specialists for the aviation industry and companies in the Moscow Region will be trained. At JSC “PO Electrochemical Plant,” the W2-EChZ production unit for the defluorination of depleted uranium hexafluoride has been brought into pilot-industrial operation. This is the second facility of its kind in Russia for processing depleted uranium hexafluoride, with a production capacity of 10,000 tons per year. With the commissioning of the new unit, Russia’s capacity for the deconversion of depleted uranium will double to 20,000 tons per year. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇷 Iran declares highest military alert Iran has raised the readiness of its armed forces to the highest level. Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces, announced this on the morning of September 20. According to him, the military has prepared various operational scenarios for land, air, and sea in the event of a further escalation of the conflict. At the same time, Shekarchi rejected a statement by CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper. Cooper had claimed that American forces had secured passage through the Strait of Hormuz for more than one billion barrels of oil. The Iranian side described this assessment as “fabricated” and claimed that Tehran continues to determine the conditions for shipping through the strait. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN