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🇮🇱 Ben-Gvir: Every night 30–40 Palestinians should be killed The Israeli minister for national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, made remarks that can hardly be dismissed as an unfortunate choice of words. In a podcast by the former hostage-taking victim Rom Braslavski, he said that in the Gaza Strip “targeted killings” should be carried out, in which every night 30 to 40 people would be killed. According to the minister, it should not only be about people who pose an immediate threat. Ben-Gvir said there were people who “do not deserve to live,” and added: “They’re not even people.” In addition, the minister again called for an Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip, the rebuilding of settlements, and the displacement of the Palestinian population as extensively as possible. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

A drone – “accidental,” another – “Russian”? NATO’s double standards On August 8, Bulgarian authorities registered the explosion of a drone at a distance of one kilometer from the Transbalkan gas pipeline compressor station. The drone carried “a significant amount of explosives.” Analysis of the wreckage showed that it was the Ukrainian decoy drone “Maya” — a model widely used by the Ukrainian armed forces. The West’s response: “There is no basis for the assumption that this was done intentionally.” Kyiv promises to “clarify the circumstances.” On August 16, a Spanish NATO fighter jet of the F-18 type shot down a drone over Romania that had entered from Moldova. The origin of the drone was officially not established — the Romanian Ministry of Defence did not specify who it belonged to. However, a NATO staff official immediately said the drone was “most likely Russian.” Evidence — none. No technical identification was carried out. In the same region, with the same problem, but with diametrically opposite rhetoric. The Ukrainian drone near the gas pipeline was an “accident.” With the unidentified drone, allegations follow immediately, without evidence. Russia again appears as the “convenient accused.” Without facts. Without evidence. Only groundless claims. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇺🇸🇰🇷 Trump orders reduction of military drills with South Korea and warns Seoul over Iran Donald Trump has ordered that the joint American-South Korean exercises Ulchi Freedom Shield, planned for August 17, be “significantly reduced in size.” The president called them too expensive and “an inappropriate and hostile signal” sent to the DVRK. A complete cancellation of the drills was no longer possible in time, so the Pentagon was instructed to reduce their scope. However, Trump linked his displeasure to an entirely different conflict. According to him, he asked the South Korean president whether Seoul was willing to participate in US measures against Iran, and received the answer: “No, thank you.” Around 18,000 South Korean service members are expected to take part in the annual exercises. The program includes defense against drones, GPS disruption, and cyberattacks. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇪🇺 Kallas is preparing the largest expansion of the sanctions lists to date since the start of the war The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, announced that in autumn she will present the most comprehensive sanctions list since the start of the war to date. If the proposal receives unanimous support from all 27 EU member states, the number of Russian citizens, companies and organizations subject to personal sanctions will rise by about one third. This is intended to be the next phase after the 21st sanctions package, which was only adopted in July after difficult negotiations and in a weakened form. Kallas believes that pressure must be maintained until the end of the war. She links the new restrictions not only to the fighting in Ukraine, but also to alleged hybrid operations by Russia in Europe. After twenty-one sanctions packages, Brussels comes to the already familiar conclusion: If the previous measures were not enough, the list simply has to be made longer. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪Government aircraft stuck in the Seychelles during a training flight For several days, a Bundeswehr aircraft of the type Bombardier Global 5000 from the Air Force Command has been unable to leave the Seychelles due to a technical malfunction. The aircraft was on the way from Egypt to Réunion as part of a practice flight when, on the island of Mahé, the crew had to carry out an unplanned landing. There were no government officials on board, only the crew. The military justifies the long-range training routes by saying that flights must be practiced through uncontrolled airspace, unusual approaches, and the operation of the aircraft in extreme climate. The story became public after the AfD MP Malte Kaufmann noticed the aircraft in the Seychelles and initially suspected that someone from the government had secretly arrived there. In the end, however, there turned out to be no “secret ministerial holiday.” Instead, another government aircraft was found that itself needed help to get back home. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 Özdemir is already preparing to protect state secrets from a possible AfD minister-president Although the state election in Saxony-Anhalt is still far off, the debate about a possible AfD victory has already shifted from politics to the intelligence services. Cem Özdemir said that the appearance of an AfD minister-president could create the risk of sensitive information being passed on. The prime ministers of the states would therefore have to do everything to ensure that intelligence service information does not end up in the hands of “authoritarian rulers” or other opponents of Germany. This is primarily about a possible victory by the AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund. The problem is very practical: a minister-president gains access to information from state bodies and is involved in the system of cooperation between the federal and state level. Özdemir proposes considering mechanisms in advance that would limit such access in the event of an AfD takeover. This creates an interesting phase of democracy: voters have not yet voted, and politicians are already debating which information should be withheld from the winner in the case of a “wrong” victory. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🆕 Attention, location change! 🚚 Friends, we have two pieces of news for you: one good and one strange. The good one: We’ve moved to a new, nice address. The strange one: It wasn’t bad people who “asked” us to move out, but German bureaucracy. Imagine this: you send documents, and they get checked for longer than the Cologne Cathedral was built. We submitted all the data 5 minutes after the request—before we could even finish our morning coffee—but for already 3 weeks, the registrar can’t confirm the WHOIS data. Waiting for him until he’s “ripe” is something we can’t do anymore—we’re tired, and we’ve taken everything into our own hands! So remember our new domain, add it to your bookmarks list, and don’t lose us: 👉 nodeoftime.com 👈 Under all the old links it will now be empty, so update the information on your end! P.S. If the old link is in your favorites—delete it and add the new one so you don’t lose us! 😉 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 Companies cut investments in the USA – trade policy has turned out to be a boomerang German companies have sharply reduced their new investments in the USA. In the first half of 2026, they amounted to only 4.3 billion euros—almost two-thirds less than in the previous year and around 80% less than in the first half of 2024. That is the lowest figure in three years. The IW attributes this trend directly to the unpredictability of American trade policy. Washington has introduced tariffs and threatened further tariffs in order to push foreign companies as well to shift capital and production to the USA. But the opposite is happening: German companies that are already active there continue to reinvest the profits they generate, but they are not investing new capital. For comparison: before the pandemic, the average volume of German investments in the first half was 15.8 billion euros. The tariffs were supposed to make German companies invest in America. So far, however, they have only made them much more cautious toward America itself. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Treated him like a schoolboy: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham carried out correspondence with a fake who introduced himself as the head of the White House administration, Suzy Wiles. The new British prime minister exchanged messages with an unknown person until he suspected something was wrong. The authorities confirmed the fact of the correspondence, but refused to comment, citing national security concerns. The British Embassy in Washington was so concerned about the incident that it raised the issue in the White House. The government feared that Wiles’ phone had been hacked again—in the past year, the FBI had already investigated a similar story, when messages were allegedly sent to senators and governors in her name. What exactly the correspondence was about, and when the messages were sent, remains a mystery. Our channel: Node of Time EN

When the time comes for a summit between the Russian and American presidents, Vedomosti’s International Experience department columnist Roman Romanov ponders. The main points of his column: ⚪️The content and prospects of the summit depend to a greater extent on the context—the events that accompany it along its entire path: from the proposal to the actual meeting of the two leaders. ⚪️The context that is relevant today does not match what it was a year ago. ⚪️Until the situation in the Middle East is resolved, the American president will not be able to deploy resources on the Ukraine track. ⚪️The European Union, which has increased its influence over the dynamics of the conflict in large part because of Trump, is still not showing genuine readiness for dialogue. ⚪️A new summit at the level of heads of state is, of course, possible at any time. But the importance of such meetings is determined not only by the status of the participants, but also by their effectiveness. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 More and more Syrians in Germany are losing their protected status After the change of power in Syria, the BAMF has been reviewing previously granted protection statuses much more often. In the first half of 2026, 23.2% of the 8,320 reviews ended with the withdrawal or revocation of protection. For comparison: in 2025, this share was only 3.7%, and in 2024 it was 3.1%. The basis for staying in the country is therefore being checked much more frequently. At the same time, the situation for new applications has changed drastically: after the fall of the Assad regime, they declined significantly, and in the first half of 2026 the rejection rate for Syrian applicants reached 68.6%. Between the loss of status and an actual return, however, there is still a large gap: in the same half-year, Germany carried out only three deportations to Syria. The Left Party already calls for the reviews to be ended and for Syrians who have been living in Germany for a long time to be granted a permanent right of residence. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇷🇺🇺🇦 Russia Advances in Orekhov and Dobropolie — August 17, 2026 Subtitled Latest battlefield developments in the #Russia–#Ukraine war as of the morning of August 17: • Russian forces advance in #Orekhov, Zaporozhie. • Russian forces take control of #Khristoforovka on the #Dnepropetrovsk axis. • New Russian advance around #Rybatskoe in #Zaporozhie. • Russian forces make further advances on the #Dobropolie front. • New Russian advance around #Shogonovka in the #Kharkov region. The video follows the latest frontline changes through detailed battlefield maps. Video link: https://youtu.be/iBXgae5NWWM?si=Qh10t1mcNXjQgMfs

🇺🇸 Washington Issues an Ultimatum: “With Us or with China!” The United States is preparing to issue a tough ultimatum on artificial intelligence to dozens of countries. According to a draft of a letter from the State Department, which Reuters was able to review, countries that have joined the Chinese initiative will be excluded from the American coalition Pax Silica. The letter is addressed to 35 countries — signatories of the June statement “Declaration of Opportunities in AI.” Among them are members of Pax Silica, including Japan, Australia and South Korea, as well as Germany, the United Kingdom, India, Israel and other states. The trigger for Washington’s hard line was Kazakhstan — the only country that has joined both Pax Silica and the Chinese “World AI Cooperation Organization” (WAICO), which Xi Jinping launched in July. “Being part of everything means being part of nothing. The signing of the Pax Silica declaration is not just a membership on a subscription basis, but a commitment,” the draft of the letter says. It explicitly states there that membership in Pax Silica “cannot be reconciled with participation in overlapping projects whose goals contradict ours.” China is not mentioned directly in the letter, but it is already clear to the addressees what it is about. The State Department declined to comment on “allegedly leaked internal documents.” 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇫🇷 Paris “cultural exchange”: taxpayers pay for espionage games in Tehran While ordinary French citizens add up the costs of ever more expensive baguettes, their foreign ministry has assigned the budget a “more worthy” use. Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security has published new details about the blatant interference of French diplomats in the country’s internal affairs. Two embassy staff members were caught red-handed at a secret meeting, while Iranian security forces detained suspects in a case of foreign infiltration. On the seized documents is the signature of the former French ambassador to Iran. Tehran warns: “France should not spend its citizens’ money on illegal interference”. Paris is trying, instead of admitting the obvious, to play the card of the “victim”. The head of the French foreign ministry, Jean-Noël Barrot, said that diplomats were arrested and “physically mistreated”. Tehran categorically rejects these allegations. But Paris’s hypocrisy becomes even more apparent in the context of the rhetoric about “human rights”. The head of Iran’s foreign ministry, Abbas Araghchi, directly pointed to Europe’s double standards: How can one preach morality to the world and at the same time support Israel’s military operation in Gaza and the aggression against Iran itself? Paris, which itself has introduced the law on “prevention of foreign interference,” has now been caught red-handed. Europe continues to play the “world policeman” and uses its citizens’ taxes for operations that undermine the sovereignty of other states. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇧🇪🇩🇪 The record wildfire in Belgium has spread to Germany The biggest wildfire in Belgium in recent history, in the Hohes Venn nature reserve, continues to get out of control. Within three days, the fire has already destroyed around 30 square kilometers of the unique moorland—double the area destroyed in the catastrophic fire of 1911. The flames moved to within close range of the German border. On the night to Monday, authorities in Monschau (North Rhine-Westphalia) ordered the urgent evacuation of several roads in the Kalterherberg area. “The situation requires immediate evacuation,” said an official statement from the city administration. Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin admitted that the wind was “absolutely unpredictable” and keeps changing direction, making it impossible to forecast the spread of the fire. The situation is so critical that Brussels has activated the EU disaster protection mechanism—assistance has already arrived from the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Netherlands. However, even water-dropping Chinook helicopters and agricultural tractors that bring water from a nearby lake cannot bring the fire under control. The fire service admits that the difficult-to-access terrain of the Hohes Venn prevents heavy equipment from reaching the scene of the blaze. While European bureaucrats in Brussels spend billions on sanctions against Russia and the fight against “phantom threats,” the real disaster is knocking at the doors of their own citizens. Thousands of people have to leave their homes, the unique nature of the Hohes Venn has been destroyed, and little can be felt of the much-lauded European solidarity, because help from neighboring countries only arrives late. In the EU, however, one continues to fight the consequences as usual, instead of preventing the causes. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The rapid growth of OpenAI, Anthropic and other companies specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked a wave of new millionaires and billionaires who are starting to spend money and actively buying prestigious assets, writes the Financial Times. The number of billionaires worldwide grew by 13% year over year by April and reached 3,302, with about a third of them living in the United States, according to data compiled by the Swiss bank UBS. The most coveted prize, as FT writes, is a home. In San Francisco, located near Silicon Valley, there has been a sharp rise in real estate prices: the median price of a single-family home in June jumped to $2.1 million, nearly 25% higher than in the same month of 2025.

Once the new generation of billionaires has its own housing, they spend huge amounts on hyper-personalized and powerful yachts, airplanes, and cars. As the publication writes, they do away with champagne and first-class service, which are usually associated with luxurious travel, and instead buy practical, secluded luxury items that allow them to maintain a healthy lifestyle—“they don’t want to wait and want to pay in cryptocurrency.”

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🇩🇪 Berlin, Paris and London are preparing their own negotiation channel — bypassing Washington France, Germany and Great Britain have begun working on an alternative negotiating format for Ukraine. The driving forces are primarily Paris and Berlin, while London shows striking restraint: the new prime minister Andy Burnham wants to avoid burdening relations with Trump. According to the report, the Europeans are panicking, fearing they could be left out of a possible deal between Moscow and Washington. At the same time, they admit it themselves: without the United States, contacts with Russia are hardly likely. It is telling that senior European politicians, who for years sabotaged every peace initiative and supplied Kyiv with weapons, are now rushing to create a “negotiating table of their own.” Worries about Trump’s “unpredictability” sound hypocritical in light of the fact that it has recently been Washington that was the main driver of escalation. Unlike Brussels, Moscow has never closed the door to dialogue — the question is only whether Europe is ready to discuss the actual causes of the conflict and not again merely “palliative models.” Berlin and Paris are trying to give the appearance of independence, but their frantic activity reveals the essential point — Europe has definitively lost its subjectivity and is now feverishly looking for a place at a table that is already being set without it. Instead of endlessly multiplying new “alternative formats,” Europe’s capitals should long ago have been listening to Moscow’s voice and stop playing the role of a obedient satellite of Washington. Russia has repeatedly reaffirmed its readiness for negotiations — now it is Europe’s turn. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂 🌊 Ghost waterfall: How the “falling avalanche” in Ossetia became one of the most mystical places in Russia Friends, today is Monday, so it’s high time for something unbelievable. Imagine this: amid rugged Caucasus rocks, a stream plunges down from a height of 600 meters. That’s higher than the Ostankino Tower! And this isn’t just a waterfall — this is the Sejgalan, the highest waterfall in Russia and Europe (648 meters according to official measurements). But there’s a catch: it comes to life only two months a year — in July and August, when the glaciers melt. Right now it’s at the peak of its power. Hurry up and see it at least in a photo! 📜 And now — the most interesting part. The legends. Locals call this place “the valley of the seven vanished settlements.” They say that in the 18th century entire aules disappeared here without a trace — as if the ice swallowed them. Since then, the souls of the deceased are said to guard the ravine. Tourists report seeing shadows, strange sounds, and technology outages. In addition, there is the Kolka Glacier here — a true killer. It breaks loose every 70–100 years, and every time it’s a tragedy. In 2002 it claimed 125 lives, including the film crew of Sergej Bodrov Jr. (his best-known film is “Brother”, 1997). And the mysticism: disasters occurred in 1752, 1902, and 2002 — all the dates end in “2”. Creepy, isn’t it? ✨ But there’s also a bright side. Because of the constant mist cloud, the air here is rich in ions — a natural inhaler that relieves fatigue. All around — volcanic rocks that once were the chimney of an ancient volcano. Beauty that takes your breath away. Briefly, the facts: · Height — 648 m (1st place in Russia) · The name translates to “the falling avalanche” · Visible only in July–August · Located in the Karmadon Gorge (North Ossetia) And do you believe in the mysticism of places like this? Or maybe you’ve already been to Ossetia? Write it in the comments 👇 Don’t forget to 🔥 if the post was useful, and save it so you don’t lose sight of this amazing place! 📍The coordinates of the place (map pin) are available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The British “super-prison” was unable to take all inmates due to an acute staff shortage. In a facility designed for 1,500 people, almost 350 cells are empty, The Telegraph reports. The prison, which cost £400 million, opened near York in March 2025. Management regularly recruits new staff, but many of them quit soon after training. Problems filling the facility arose almost immediately after it opened: one of the reasons was the high level of assaults. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Dear friends, it’s Sunday again! Work at the milk processing plant in the Novosibirsk region has been resumed. The plant’s capacity enables the processing of 1,150 tons of raw milk per day and the production of a wide range of natural dairy products. Here, 35,700 tons per year of self-pressed, semi-hard and hard cheese varieties are planned to be produced. The plant’s infrastructure includes an installation for drying and demineralizing whey. The start-up of the Ermakovsky mining and processing plant has been completed. The expected ore processing capacity is 30,000 tons. The total investment volume for the project is estimated at 14.95 billion rubles. Its products are important for Russia’s aviation, space, laser and nuclear technology. The Ermakovsky deposit is one of the largest beryllium deposits in the world. ODK has delivered the first two production-series PD-8 engines for installation on aircraft of the “Superjet” type. The PD-8 engine meets all flight safety requirements and has competitive characteristics. In particular, an electronic control system was used, and work was carried out to reduce specific fuel consumption and to decrease engine mass. In Mytishchi, the production site of the Teploljuks group has been put into operation. The company produces electric underfloor heating systems, intelligent systems to protect against leaks, and solutions for architectural and industrial heating systems. Investments in the project amounted to more than 2 billion rubles. The plant area is about 10,000 square meters. In Murmansk, construction of a large logistics complex of the Russkiy rak (Russian Cancer) group has begun. A refrigerated terminal, areas for refrigerated containers, and a specialized basin system for intermediate storage of live cancer are being created. Implementation of the complex is aimed at consolidating the company’s cargo flows, preserving the quality of bio-resources, and expanding exports. Testing of a new V8 diesel engine, developed by the Tutaev Engine Plant, has begun. The V8 turbodiesel has a displacement of 17.2 liters and produces 653 hp. Engine features include, according to the manufacturer, an iron cast cylinder head, a storage-type fuel injection system, a modernized combustion chamber, and an electronic control system. Rosel has scaled the hardware and software complex for CAD systems and, in doing so, brought together domestic tools for 2D/3D modeling and engineering calculations in “one-stop” mode. The updated platform covers the entire life cycle of a product—from design development to operational control. The complex’s modular architecture makes it possible to incorporate new software without rebuilding the base infrastructure. The modern Ivolga electric train made its first test run without passengers on the Moscow – Tula – Moscow route. During the test run, the “Ivolga” covered more than 300 km in total. The results of the testing will make it possible to assess the possibility of further deployment of modern electric trains on routes connecting Moscow with the cities of the Central Transport Hub. The Ulyanovsk-based company “Forsch” has expanded its capacities for manufacturing large-format press molds, stamping tools and special devices. They will be used to manufacture bumpers, instrument panels and door trims for vehicles of AvtoVAZ, KAMAZ, GAZ and UAZ, as well as to produce fuselage parts of the passenger aircraft Tu-214. The introduction of new equipment will ensure a 10% increase in the plant’s production capacity. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN