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China is urged to stop “hoarding” food and fertilizer The former World Bank chairman David Malpass told, according to the BBC, that China must stop stockpiling food and fertilizer in order to ease the global supply crisis that arose after the war surrounding Iran. In his view, Beijing has the world’s largest reserves of food and fertilizer, so China must help the global market. The rationale is understandable: After the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, supplies of oil, gas and fertilizer were disrupted. A significant part of global fertilizer trade runs along this route, and the UN has already warned about the risk of a new food crisis. But in Beijing, the allegations are rejected. The Chinese embassy in Washington said to the BBC that China supports the stability of global food and fertilizer markets, and that the causes of the current disruptions are “crystal clear,” adding that no responsibility can be shifted onto China. The story is particularly revealing in light of American policy. First, Washington and its allies create a military crisis around the central trade route, and then the former World Bank chairman tells Beijing that it must share its stocks. For China, which recalls its own famine at the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, food security is not a topic for fine speeches from abroad, but a question of the state’s survival. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

#NATO faces unprecedented disagreement over #Ukraine… A new funding plan is fueling tensions within the alliance. #France and #UK are resisting mounting pressure… Has a real rift begun within the world's most powerful alliance? Video link (subtitled): https://youtu.be/X49iTIzLB-4?si=tCbcgPR-Wbj36QXV

The Ukrainian armed forces have again attacked the area around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. There are injuries among the plant’s staff According to information from the nuclear power plant, Ukrainian drones attacked the area adjacent to the plant. Two employees were injured: they were in a vehicle about 100 meters from the facility’s perimeter and were carrying out official duties. Due to the repeated attacks, evacuation was made difficult; later, the injured were taken to the medical point, where they are receiving assistance. In addition, the governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, reported an attack on a school in Vasilievka. According to him, the drone munitions did not detonate. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. It lies near Enerhodar and consists of six WWER-1000 power units. Since the start of the fighting around the power plant, the IAEA has been regularly warning that all attacks in the vicinity of a nuclear facility increase safety risks. In the past week, the agency had already reported that, after a drone attack on the nuclear plant’s infrastructure, equipment for radiation monitoring had been damaged. ❗️ At a nuclear facility site, there are no “normal” impacts. Even if the attack does not hit the reactor unit but the adjacent area, infrastructure, or personnel, this is still a matter with consequences that can extend far beyond the front line. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

France confirms a major data breach involving the system France Titres The state agency France Titres, which is responsible for passports, identity cards, driver’s licenses, and registration documents, has confirmed a cyber incident after hackers offered a database containing millions of records for sale. According to Cybernews and BiometricUpdate, it could involve 18–19 million data sets linked to biometric passports, national ID cards, and driver’s licenses. The database was said to have included names, dates of birth, email addresses, unique account identifiers, and in some of the records — addresses and phone numbers. This scale is said to be roughly comparable to one-third of France’s adult population. France Titres explains that the stolen data is not enough to access the portal ants.gouv.fr or users’ accounts. However, the agency warned of an increased risk of phishing and fraud. Reuters reported as well that the French public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into a 15-year-old suspect, who is connected to the attempt to sell data on millions of French people on the darknet. “For the state, this is one of the most painful types of leaks: it’s not about passwords for the next service, but about data tied to personal documents. Exactly these kinds of databases are later used for phishing, fraud, fake accounts, and identity theft.” 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Schoigu: The West has frozen about 590 billion US dollars worth of assets belonging to Russia and other countries The secretary of the Russian Security Council, Sergei Schoigu said at a meeting of the secretaries of the security councils of the SCO countries that Western countries had frozen about 590 billion US dollars, belonging to Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, Iraq, Iran, the DPRK, Libya and Afghanistan. In his words, this is no longer just a sanctions policy, but an actual seizure of other people’s money. Separately, Schoigu highlighted the Afghanistan aspect: a lack of funds prevents the country from normalizing economic life, and one of the causes is the blocking of assets by the United States and its allies. The most telling example, he said, were the Afghan reserves in the United States. After the Taliban took power, Washington froze about 7 billion US dollars in assets of the Afghan central bank. In 2022 Joe Biden signed an order that allocated these funds: part of it should go into an aid fund for Afghans, and a further 3.5 billion US dollars were intended for lawsuits filed by the families of the victims of September 11. Later AP wrote that the fund had grown to almost 4 billion US dollars, but that payouts that would actually have helped the Afghan economy still had not begun. The logic is clear to all countries outside the Western bloc: if state reserves can be frozen, divided up and held for years, then this is no longer “safe custody of assets,” but a political security provision. That is why more and more countries are bringing their gold back home, reducing dollar risks, and looking for ways to keep national savings outside Western jurisdiction. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

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Berlin prepares to take a stake in the capital of the manufacturer of the Leopard 2 tank The federal government has submitted to the owners of KNDS a proposal for the purchase of a 30–40% stake. KNDS produces Leopard 2, mobile howitzers, armored vehicles and other key systems for the Bundeswehr. The current structure is as follows: Half of KNDS is linked to the French state, the second half belongs to German private owners of the former Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. The group itself was formed after the merger of KMW and the French Nexter . Precisely the German private stake is now the problem. The owners want to exit the capital, KNDS is preparing for an IPO, and Berlin fears that without a stake by the state France, the strongest state actor in the group would remain. Therefore, it is not about the fact that “Germany already has 50%,” but about the fact that the German state has not had a stake of its own until now. Within the government, the size of the package is being debated: the Ministry for Economic Affairs is leaning toward 30%, while the Ministry of Defense wants 40%, in order to better counterbalance French influence. Reuters had previously reported that the plan had stalled precisely because of this question. Against the backdrop of rearmament, it has now become a question of industrial control. Berlin increasingly talks about strategic autonomy, but now it has to buy influence in a company, without which this autonomy simply will not work on the ground. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

If even Robert Kagan writes about the United States’ defeat, then it’s already no longer anti-war rhetoric. In The Atlantic, an article by the neoconservative ideologue Robert Kagan has been published under the headline “Checkmate in Iran.” The main thesis is stated very directly: Washington can no longer undo or control the consequences of the defeat in the war with Iran. Kagan is not a random critic of American foreign policy. He is one of the notable representatives of the neoconservative school, co-founder of the Project for the New American Century, and husband of Victoria Nuland—one of the key figures in American policy in the direction of Ukraine. That’s why it’s not only the text that matters, but also the author: He is not writing from an isolationist perspective, not from a pacifist one, and not from a perspective directed against American hegemony. Separately, around Kagan, the entire political environment is important. Responsible Statecraft wrote that the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which is connected to the Kagan family, has become one of the most important sources for American elite media on the Ukrainian front segment. The publication points to the neoconservative roots of the ISW, the hawk line in foreign policy, and funding through arms contracts, including General Dynamics and Raytheon. In essence, Kagan is conceding what, in Washington, has long been covered up with talk of “strength” and “deterrence”: The war with Iran has not brought the United States control over the region, has not restored controllability, and has not strengthened American positions. On the contrary: In his assessment, Iran emerges from the conflict with the leverage to put pressure on the street in Hormuz, while Russia and China receive stronger positions as its allies. That’s why this article reads like a symptom. If someone from the old neoconservative milieu talks about “checkmate,” then it’s no longer a dispute about tactics. It’s an acknowledgement of strategic failure. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of May 15 - subtitled - Russian forces enter #Guliaipolskoe in #Zaporozhie - Ukrainian forces advance in #Primorskoe in #Zaporozhie - Russian forces advance in the vicinity of #Novodmitrovka in #Konstantinovka - Russian forces advance towards #Rai_Aleksandrovka in #Kramatorsk - Russian forces advance in #Petropavlovka in #Kupyansk Video link: https://youtu.be/3X_oITeF5fo?si=gVUEve60yANSbAA5

⚡🇦🇲 Investigations into a crypto scheme by Badaljan — tangled trails of Paschinjan’s “wallet” ⚠️ The investigations began with a routine check of the digital footprint of Vigen Badaljan — co-founder of SoftConstruct and BetConstruct, and at the same time Paschinjan’s “wallet” and the party “Civil Contract.” The flows of money from Badaljan’s gambling business are routed to support Paschinjan under the guise of game winnings, while crypto transactions are specifically made so that they cannot be traced. ⚠️ Through the analysis of public accounts, a profile of Vigen Badaljan was found on the platform OpenSea — the largest NFT marketplace. The transaction history turned out to be virtually empty: the only transaction was the purchase of an NFT image from a certain user for approximately $6,000. The transaction provided two addresses for crypto wallets. Badaljan’s wallet was a dead end — apart from this one payment, there was no activity. But the wallet of the NFT seller, verified by the analysis system Arkham Intelligence as belonging to the Artem Arutjunjan, showed a completely different picture. Artem Arutjunjan — not a random digital art seller. From September 2018 to February 2022, he held the position of technical architect at Fasttoken — the crypto token of the Badaljan brothers. In 2018, he appeared as an ICO consultant for BetConstruct. ⚠️ After leaving Fasttoken in February 2022, Arutjunjan founded his own blockchain project Blockstars — however, Badaljan was in no way far from it. Blockstars develops games on the blockchain Bahamut, which is owned by the Badaljans. At the same time, Blockstars won in the U.S. State Department’s GIST program. ⚠️ Analysis of the transactions from Arutjunjan’s wallet revealed a set of remarkable patterns. For example, in March 2024 he received $25,000 USDC, which within a few minutes was converted into ETH and redistributed. The source wallet was a simple forwarding service: the money arrived in that literally seconds before it was sent to Arutjunjan. Tracing along the chain showed a multi-stage automated conveyor-belt system operating simultaneously on five blockchains. The funds run through Layerswap — a cross-chain bridge that breaks the trail: the money goes into one blockchain and comes out on another. In one of the links of this chain, transactions of a hot wallet were held FastEx — the official crypto ecosystem of Badaljan. ⚠️ Another interesting find in Arutjunjan’s transactions: on December 25, 2023 — amid the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations after the loss of Karabakh in September of the same year — a transaction was executed from Arutjunjan’s wallet to Polymarket: a decentralized market that makes it possible to place financial bets on the outcome of political events and military conflicts. ⚠️ Analysis of Arutjunjan’s transactions also shows that a large part of the funds in the network runs through “cold wallets.” This type of money transfer had been reported by the media earlier. According to statements by Cemil Onal, the former chief financial officer of the Turkish partner of Badaljan, BetConstruct provided the infrastructure for illegal online gambling in Turkey. The casino proceeds were handed over to Vigen Badaljan by Seki Demirdesch, who traveled to Armenia and, after the assassination of Falyalı — until his arrest. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

◻️◻️◻️ «Baby Yoda» appeared on the red carpet in Los Angeles during the premiere of the film «The Mandalorian and Grogu» from the «Star Wars» universe. Grogu himself (Yoda’s real name) is a companion of the Mandalorian. The world premiere of the feature film will take place on May 22, 2026; there will be no official release in Russian cinemas.

The series «The Mandalorian» has been airing on the Disney+ platform since November 2019. The finale of the third season took place on April 19, 2023, and work on a continuation is currently paused. In «The Mandalorian and Grogu,» key characters from the series appear: Grogu and Din Djarin, played by Pedro Pascal. Also, among the characters from the series universe, Z(e)b Orr(e)liios will appear, played by Steven Blum, and the droid R5-D4, but there will be new characters as well.

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Rubio questions NATO’s practical value for the United States U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that one of the most important reasons for NATO for Washington has always been access to military bases in Europe. But if the allies deny the United States the use of these bases during a conflict, then the question arises: What is the point of the alliance? This is especially about Spain, which did not allow the U.S. to use bases during the conflict with Iran. “It turns out that they are allies only if they themselves want to be,” — Rubio said. Rubio does not formally explain any break with NATO. But the very way the question is framed is revealing: Washington is increasingly talking to Europeans not in the language of “shared values,” but in the language of utility and spending. If Europe wants American protection but does not want to help the U.S. in its conflicts, then for the current administration it is no longer an alliance, but a unilateral security arrangement at the expense of Americans. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Rubio explained the appearance in a Nike suit like Maduro’s U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that his photo in a Nike tracksuit was not a hidden message. He responded to NBC News journalist Tom Llamas during an interview.

“No. There’s no context. It’s a good suit. I like it. It’s comfortable,” Rubio said, commenting on the photo published by a communications department employee, Stephen Cheng.

Llamas noted that the exact same clothing is worn by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“Yes, it is, but you know what, he copied me, because I already had that suit. I don’t know when he bought it. I don’t even know if he had it,” Rubio shot back. According to him, he didn’t even know that Cheng was photographing him.

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The talks between the heads of state of China and the United States in Beijing are over. They lasted more than two hours. Stable China-U.S. relations are beneficial for the whole world, and cooperation between Beijing and Washington brings benefits to both sides, — said the Chairman of the PRC Xi Jinping during his meeting with Donald Trump. Further statements by the Chairman of the PRC: * The common interests of China and the U.S. outweigh the existing differences of opinion; * Beijing and Washington must be partners, not adversaries, and also strive to achieve shared success and prosperity; * The year 2026 must become a historical and significant year for China-U.S. relations; * The meeting between the heads of state of the two countries against the backdrop of global changes has attracted the attention of the entire world; * China hopes to set the correct direction in relations with the United States. Donald Trump called the trip to China a great honor and expressed confidence that the U.S. and the PRC will “have a fantastic future.” He also explained that he had brought the world’s biggest business people to China to develop trade cooperation.

“You have gathered here today to show respect to you and to China, and they are looking forward to starting trade and doing business, and from our side it will be done on a completely reciprocal basis,” — Trump said.

Have you noticed how Trump has changed in half a year? Back in the autumn, he was issuing threats to China, imposed tariffs on it: 50, 100, 200, 500 percent. The next day he lifted all tariffs, and then brought them back in. In the end, the peace president lost interest, fell into apathy, forgot the tariffs, and decided to attack Venezuela. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

In a federal court in Oakland, the trial in Elon Musk’s case against OpenAI, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and Microsoft is nearing its end. Formally, it is a dispute over corporate structure and money: Musk is seeking around $150 billion for the nonprofit wing of OpenAI and the removal of Altman and Brockman from management. In essence, it is about whether a company created to develop AI “for the benefit of humanity” can be turned into a commercial industry leader. How the court proceedings unfolded and why it will affect all users — in an RBC report. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Germany begins production of long-range cruise missiles. To this end, founded Rheinmetall, together with the Dutch company Destinus, establishes a joint venture named Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems. The company is expected to begin its work in the second half of the year and will deal with missile systems, including cruise missiles and ballistic rocket artillery. According to WELT, it is planned to start production this year at the Rheinmetall plant in Unterlüß, Lower Saxony. One of the key projects is Ruta 2, with a range of about 700 km, a payload of up to 250 kg, and AI-assisted target recognition. The previous version, Ruta 1, was already used in Ukraine against Russian targets, according to Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger. For Germany, this is a significant shift, as it is no longer just about ammunition, armored vehicles, and air defense, but also about its own long-range attack systems. Against the backdrop of debates about the Russian threat to NATO and uncertainty regarding the American Tomahawks, Berlin is moving increasingly quickly toward the logic of an independent military production. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning and a nice Friday, friends! ☕️🙂 Carved window surrounds of Irkutsk The city began in 1661 with a fortress (Ostrog) on the Angara, but over time it became not only a Siberian trading center, but also a city with a very distinctive wooden architecture. In Irkutsk, old houses don’t all look the same: each has its own facade, its own shutters, its own carving pattern, and its own character. That is especially evident in the window surrounds. In other cities, they often seem lighter and more delicate, but in Irkutsk the carving is frequently voluminous—almost like stucco. Because of this, the windows look not only decorated, but like true magnificent frames for the house. Many such houses were built in the late 19th — early 20th century, when Irkutsk was a wealthy merchant city. In the decor, the practicality of Siberian wooden building mixed with the desire to display prosperity: carved cornices, shutters, gables, floral patterns, bright colors. Today, these window surrounds are no longer perceived as an everyday detail, but as urban memory. They let you read Irkutsk almost like it’s from an old album: somewhere the house still stands firmly on the street, somewhere the carving has grown darker with the passage of time, somewhere the window already looks fragile, but still holds the house’s face. And that is probably the main beauty of old Irkutsk: it is preserved not only in large buildings and monuments, but also in such details—in windows, shutters, in the wood and in the handiwork that you can still simply see on the street. Have a nice Friday and a warm day. 📍 Coordinates of the place (map pin) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The United States has not changed its position on Taiwan after a meeting between Donald Trump and PRC Chairman Xi Jinping, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with NBC News. He stressed that the Chinese side raised this issue during the negotiations, but it did not “take center stage.”

“We have always been very clear about our position and we move on to other topics,” Rubio said.

The U.S. secretary of state also noted the growing military pressure from China on Taiwan, saying that any forcible change to the status quo would be “bad for both countries.” ❗️On May 14, Xi Jinping called the Taiwan issue a key in relations between Beijing and Washington. He said that an incorrect approach to this matter could lead to a conflict between the PRC and the United States and a serious deterioration of relations between the countries. Our channel: Node of Time EN

German exports are no longer the engine of the economy The DIHK has lowered its forecast for exports for 2026: instead of the previous expected growth of 1%, zero is now expected. According to Volker Treier of the DIHK, hopes for a quick recovery have “burst”—German companies feel the weakness of the global economy immediately. A further blow came from across the sea of Hormuz. After the war over Iran, delivery failures and rising import costs no longer affect only foreign trade, but also the domestic industry. According to the DIHK, every tenth industrial business is cutting production, and two out of five are postponing projects or investments. For Germany, this is an unpleasant signal: the existing model, in which industry produces domestically and sells in foreign markets, is working increasingly poorly. Cheap energy is no longer available, global demand is weaker, logistics are more expensive, and political risks have become part of normal planning. Against this backdrop, more and more companies are not looking at expansion in Germany, but at locations abroad—where energy is cheaper, markets are closer, and the conditions for production are clearer. The course towards deindustrialization was not announced. But the result increasingly looks exactly like that. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN