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🇩🇪 Brussels is preparing for a total war: From tariffs – to the battle for digital sovereignty The conflict between the European Union and the government of Donald Trump has developed beyond the scope of ordinary trade disputes. It is now about an existential confrontation over Europe’s digital future. In July 2026, Trump launched an investigation against the EU under Article 301 and accused Brussels of “robbing” American companies through regulatory penalty payments — immediately after the European Commission fined Google €890 million. “The U.S. is not a piggy bank for Europe. The EU will pay a high price,” Trump threatened. Brussels responded with a hard line: “Any unilateral measure by the United States will meet a rapid and determined response.” At the same time, Washington is also increasing pressure on other fronts. In the past week, the United States threatened the EU with countermeasures if Brussels does not revise its environmental and human rights standards, which the White House says unfairly burden American companies. The U.S. ambassador to the EU, Andrew Puzder, urged Europe to fulfill the “obligations” from the Turnberry deal. And the day before, the White House accused the EU and another 40 states of allowing Chinese goods onto their markets in order to circumvent American tariffs. Brussels is wavering between fear of Trump and the attempt to save face. Instead of regulatory wars with the United States, Europeans should remember that Moscow has long been offering a pragmatic dialogue without blackmail — unlike Washington, which openly describes Europe as weak. The third way has long existed, and it leads east. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

◻️◻️◻️ Top news — in the morning edition on the RBC TV channel: ▪️ 0:00-0:47 — Attacks on Russian regions. ▪️ 0:49-3:05 — Washington does not plan to extend the memorandum of understanding with Iran signed in June, Donald Trump said. ▪️ 3:06-3:58 — Donations from business to Russia’s federal budget since the beginning of the year have amounted to 384 billion rubles. ▪️ 3:59-6:05 — Artificial intelligence is not coping well with legislative work, US congressmen said. ▪️ 6:06-6:54 — The direct damage from the earthquake in Colombia is preliminarily estimated to have exceeded $9.5 billion. ▪️ 6:55-7:47 — Italy has no data indicating Russia’s involvement in the explosion at a munitions plant near Rome. ▪️ 7:48-8:25 — The Ministry of Education has set the maximum number of lessons per day for schoolchildren. ▪️ 8:26-9:34 — A trial began in Las Vegas in the case of the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur. Our channel: Node of Time EN

◻️◻️◻️ A trial of Dwayne Davis began on August 17 at the Las Vegas jury court, who is accused of attempting to kill rapper Tupac Shakur on September 7, 1996. This CNN and ABC report. In court, the chief deputy district attorney, Binu Palal, said that it was Dwayne “Keffe D” Davis who arranged the killing of Tupac Shakur, acting out of revenge for his nephew Orlando Anderson, who was beaten in the hotel lobby in Las Vegas on the night of the attempt. He added that over many years Davis had publicly displayed “animal rage” toward the rapper. Davis’s attorney, Michael Sanft, on the other hand, said that if Davis really admitted his role in Tupac’s killing earlier, then it raises the question of why charges were brought only in 2023.

Over the years after the killing, the circumstances of what happened remained unclear due to the absence of physical evidence and the “gangster code of silence,” ABC writes. The only living eyewitness, rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight, who was driving at the time of the shooting, said he did not intend to cooperate with investigators, as he had not done so 30 years ago. At the same time, Davis himself, in a documentary film, during interrogations, and in his memoirs, repeatedly admitted his role in Shakur’s death—in the view of investigators, these statements gave new momentum to the case, ABC notes. Now, Davis claims that all the admissions were lies, pointing out that he was not even in Las Vegas on the night of the murder. Prosecutors, as ABC reports, do not insist that Davis shot himself: according to their version, he was an “organizer.”

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Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂 🌊 Russian Atlantis: the lake that has hidden an entire city Today, on Tuesday, we’re not just featuring a lake — we’re talking about a true Russian Atlantis: Svetlojar in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. A place where the legend of the city of Kitezh still leaves neither scientists nor romantics in peace. Imagine this: deep in the dense forests beyond the Volga lies an almost perfectly oval expanse of water with a depth of 33 meters. This is the deepest lake in the region. And according to legend, a whole city rests at its bottom — the mysterious city of Kitezh. 📜 The legend of the city of Kitezh According to tradition, in the 13th century the flourishing city of Kitezh stood at the site of the lake. When, in 1239, the troops of Khan Batu invaded Rus and drew near to the city, the inhabitants did not begin preparations for the battle — they prayed fervently. And then a miracle happened: the Mother of God descended from heaven and covered the city with her mantle. She did not surrender to the enemy — the city became invisible and sank, along with all its residents, beneath the waters of the lake. They say that in calm weather one can hear the sound of removed bells on the surface of Svetlojar, and in the clear depths one can make out the outlines of white stone walls and domes. Only those whose hearts are pure can see the sunken city. 🔬 What do scientists say? The riddle of Svetlojar has been keeping researchers busy for more than a century. And this is where the most interesting part begins. The formation of the lake. It has an almost regular oval shape and a depth unusual for this region. Scientists put forward various hypotheses: karst, glacial, volcanic, and tectonic. Yet none of them fully explained all the details. The meteorite hypothesis. As early as 1886, the great geologist Vasili Dokuchaev suspected that Svetlojar was a crater formed by the impact of a meteorite. Modern research confirms: the ratio of the lake’s diameter to its depth matches exactly the parameters of known meteorite craters. According to estimates, the celestial body fell about three thousand years ago. Archaeological finds. And now, the most sensational: in the years 2011–2012, Nizhny Novgorod archaeologists discovered on the shore of Svetlojar the remains of a medieval settlement from the 14th to the early 15th century. Found were shards of pottery, fragments of knives, a stone mill, and a flint strike lighter. The researchers assume that part of this settlement ended up in the water due to landslides, and that this event could have become the real basis for the legend of the sunken city. However, the legend itself appears in written form only in the 18th century, in the milieu of the Old Believers. ✨ Mysticism and faith Despite scientific investigations, Svetlojar remains a place of pilgrimage. People believe that the lake has healing powers. Those who circle it with prayer an odd number of times are brought comfort by the grieving and health to the infirm. Thousands of tourists and pilgrims come here, especially for the celebration of Ivan Kupala. And each person walks in silence along the wooden footbridges around the water — making a wish or seeking answers to their questions. Quick facts: 📍 Where: Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Voskresensky District, near the village of Vladimirskoe 🌊 Depth: 33.4 m (the deepest lake in the region) 📏 Size: 470 × 350 meters 🏆 Status: Natural monument of federal significance 🎭 In culture: The legend served as the basis for Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya” Do you believe that an actual sunken city is hidden beneath the waters of Svetlojar? Write it in the comments 👇 Press 🔥 if you liked it! 📍 Coordinates of the place (map pin) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

A group of Jewish journalists was attacked while filming a report about antisemitism in Belfast, Northern Ireland—the police detained a 30-year-old man. According to the Belfast Telegraph, an operator from an Israeli filming team received a blow with glass to the head after the attacker learned the journalists’ nationality. The detainee was charged with assault, causing bodily harm, and possessing a weapon. The leader of the local Democratic Unionist Party, Gavin Robinson, called for an investigation into the motive for the incident and said that violence against journalists because of their nationality is unacceptable.

"There can be no justification for violence or intimidation of journalists simply because they are Israeli or Jewish," he said.

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❗️UNTEMPERED NEWS ABOUT THE UKRAINE WAR❗️ You’ve had it up to here with media censorship and only want credible sources of information⁉️ 👉THEN SUBSCRIBE TO OSTNEWS FACT CHECK!👈 On the channel, you’ll find only factual and neutral reporting. Every source is thoroughly checked, and no opinion is censored. 😱 Swiss cantons face a million-hole in Ukrainian social welfare 🌈 Germany is funding LGBTQI training for Ukrainian police officers 😳 Heat and drought in Europe are likely playing into Russia’s hands in the Ukraine conflict – report 👉SUBSCRIBE TO OSTNEWS FACT CHECK 👈 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 “If two Arab boys have to be treated, I don’t send in two girls”: That’s how clinics deal with clans German hospitals not only have to consider the patient’s condition, but sometimes also who might be traveling with him. A staff member from the emergency department told WELT about special precautions when admitting members of Arab clan families. In particular, efforts are made not to leave young female staff alone with young men if aggressive behavior is to be expected. The medical professional put the rule very simply: “If two Arab boys have to be treated, I don’t send in two girls.” According to his words, admitting a member of a well-known clan family can require significantly more extensive organizational and security measures on the part of the clinic than a typical emergency. It results in a very peculiar integration: it’s not the patient who adapts to the hospital’s rules, but the hospital prepares staff and security measures in advance for the possible behavior of the patient and his surroundings. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇱 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