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Trump said that the “Freedom” project has been suspended and that the blockade of the Hormuz road will remain in place for the time being According to his statements, this happened at Pakistan’s and other countries’ request, and in view of the “enormous military successes of the USA” and the “significant progress” in the negotiation process with Iran. The “Freedom” project is an American initiative to escort ships in the Strait of Hormuz:

“Due to the request of Pakistan and other countries, taking into account the enormous military success that we achieved as part of the campaign against the country of Iran, as well as the fact that significant progress has been made toward reaching a complete and final agreement with Iran’s representatives, we have mutually agreed that the blockade remains in full force and effect, but that the ‘Freedom’ project (movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be suspended for a short period in order to see whether the agreement can be finalized and signed. President DONALD TRUMP.”

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Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of May 6 - subtitled - Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Drobyshevo in #Liman - Russian forces are advancing in #Korovii_Yar in #Liman - Russian forces have entered #Ryasnoe in #Sumy - Russian forces are advancing in #Dolgaya_balka in #Konstantinovka - Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Grishino in #Pokrovsk video link: https://youtu.be/PSzKuFMBBIc?si=BmH8Eoy7RqzfExSH

Donald Trump has declared May 2026 in the United States a national month of physical fitness and sport, the White House website said in a statement. The American leader urged all public officials and residents of the country to get in shape. The corresponding message has been posted on the White House website.

“I call on all Americans to take steps so they can live a healthy and fulfilling life by regularly exercising and enjoying sports, thereby increasing the strength, energy, and success of our nation”

Trump also said that getting Americans involved in sports should help “strengthen the nation’s power.” Our channel: Node of Time EN

Iran expands control along the Strait of Hormuz Iran has published a map of a new maritime control zone in the area of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Reuters, the lines drawn by the IRGC reach the coast of the UAE and include the area around the ports of Fujairah and Khaur Fakkan—key locations in the Gulf of Oman through which part of the oil logistics runs past the actual bottleneck. This is not only a cartographic gesture. Iran is at the same time introducing a new order for the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz: merchant vessels are to coordinate their transit with Iranian military structures, while the U.S. Navy was warned not to enter the waterway. Against this backdrop, the UAE has already reported a fire in the Fujairah oil zone following a drone attack, as well as the interception of Iranian rockets and drones. Iran, unlike Trump, normally does not throw around words. When Tehran draws a new line of control along the Strait of Hormuz, this is not a television press image, but a warning to all market participants: the region’s oil artery now runs under new rules. Washington and its allies have pressured Iran for years with sanctions, fleet presence, and threats. Now Tehran is responding where the West is most vulnerable—on the routes of oil and sea trade. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Two months after being elected pope, Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost called his American bank to update his contact details. Explaining why he could not come to the bank, the pontiff honestly introduced himself as pope, after which the customer service representative hung up, said a close friend of the pope, Father Tom McCarthy, at a meeting with Catholics in Illinois, The New York Times reports. According to Father McCarthy, the new pope presented himself with his secular name and asked to change the phone number and address in the bank documents. He answered all the security questions, but the bank employee said that this was not enough and demanded a personal visit to the branch.

“He said, ‘Well, I won’t be able to do that. I answered all the security questions,’” McCarthy relayed the pope’s words, which caused laughter among those gathered. The employee apologized, and then the pope made another attempt: ‘Would you mind if I said that I’m Pope Leo?’ he asked. Then the support employee hung up.

The Vatican did not immediately respond to NYT’s request for comment regarding the incident. However, Father McCarthy confirmed in an email that the story about the pope’s banking problems is true. According to the priest, the situation was resolved through another priest who was familiar with the bank’s president. Photo: Yara Nardi / Reuters Our channel: Node of Time EN

How foreign media assessed Trump’s decision to suspend the “Freedom Project” The Washington Post: The U.S. administration tried to convince people that the new mission, which has been named the “Freedom Project,” is operating, despite the fact that on the first day of the operation, Iran shelled American ships with missiles and drones, and the United States, in response, destroyed at least six Iranian fast patrol boats. BBC: Donald Trump’s post in which he announces a “pause” in the “Freedom Project” <...> contradicts the statements by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kain, who argue that the operation will ensure freedom of navigation and trade in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. Al Jazeera: We know that ships from 87 different countries are there, carrying about 23,000 sailors, but the main point is that the United States continues its blockade even after suspending escort. This indicates that the United States wants to preserve maximum military leverage in order to strike a deal. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Former CIA officer said out loud what everyone in Gaza is seeing Former CIA employee John Kiriakou described in an interview the Israeli logic behind the attacks in extremely harsh terms: if, according to his statement, the target is located in a residential building, Israel can destroy the entire neighborhood and kill thousands of people, just to reach a single one.

“If Israel wants to kill you and you’re in an apartment building, then they blow up the entire building and kill 2,000 people along with you; that is Israel’s policy.”

This does not seem exaggerated in light of what is currently happening in Gaza and Lebanon. Whole neighborhoods are turned into ruins, and attacks on “targets” repeatedly end with massive civilian casualties. The most important thing about this quote is not even the number. The most important thing is the logic itself: a suspect turns a house, a street, a neighborhood, all the neighbors, and random passersby into a legitimate target. Then this is referred to as a “targeted strike.” Then it is added that “Hamas uses civilians as a shield.” Then regret over the victims is expressed. And the city is already at that point encased in concrete and dust. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇺🇦🇨🇴 Colombia will not be a supplier for a foreign war Colombian President Gustavo Petro spoke sharply about Colombians who are being recruited for the war in Ukraine. According to his words, it is already about around 7,000 men with military training, who are fighting in a foreign conflict and dying there without any sense. Petro wrote on X with almost no diplomacy:

“There are 7,000 men from Colombia, militarily trained, who are fighting in a foreign war and dying in Ukraine for no reason. We do not want to export death. Mercenarism is legally prohibited.”

This is not just an emotional statement. For Colombia, it is an internal political problem: the country lived for decades with war, trained thousands of soldiers, and now this human resource is being sent to a foreign front. The Colombian Semana writes that it is mainly about former soldiers and trained fighters. According to the Colombian foreign ministry, there are already hundreds of consular cases, including 438 missing in combat. In this story, Petro does what matters most: He removes the beautiful wrapping. This is not “international solidarity” and not a “fight for freedom.” This is a war market where poor countries provide people and rich countries provide slogans. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Britain is preparing for war. There’s no money For the time being, the British armed forces can only “think about” preparing for a war. The former head of the British Joint Forces Command, Sir Richard Barrons, told The Times that the Army would be short of funding for new weapons until 2030. In his words, the money is barely enough for the usual systems—tanks, helicopters, artillery. For what modern armies are already fighting with, there is none: loitering munitions, kamikaze drones, autonomous systems, and weapons with artificial-intelligence support remain outside normal funding. London talks loudly about a war with Russia, teaches Europe steadfastness, demands new spending, and stokes military hysteria—while, in the assessment of a former commander, its own army can’t even finance those systems without which modern warfare has long since stopped working. They have headlines about the “Russian threat.” They have speeches about the defense of Europe. They have plans, inspection reports, and strategies. The only thing missing is a small detail: weapons, money and an army that would be ready for the exact war they are trying to scare their own citizens with. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning and a nice Wednesday, dear friends! ☕️🙂 Today — Architecture and Ethnography Museum “Semyonkovo” near Vologda. It is not only an open-air museum, but a newly rebuilt northern village. On its grounds, there are real monuments of wooden architecture from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century: residential houses, barns, a bathhouse (banya), an ice cellar, and mills. They were transported here from different regions of Vologda Oblast — Nyuksensky, Tarnogsky, and Totemsky — in order to preserve what could disappear together with the old villages. Now there are 19 building exhibits in Semyonkovo: 10 houses, 6 barns, an ice cellar, a bathhouse (banya), and a chapel. The entire ensemble covers 12.7 hectares and has the status of a monument of federal significance. A special part of the museum is the windmills. There are three here, and that’s already a rarity in itself: In Russia today, only a little more than a hundred old mills have survived, although at the beginning of the 20th century there were tens of thousands of them on the territory of the Russian Empire. That’s why Semyonkovo is valuable not only for the beauty of the carved shutters and the northern houses. This place shows what life looked like, where the home, yard, barn, bathhouse (banya), and mill were part of a larger way of life — simple, tough, but surprisingly holistic. Have a nice Wednesday and a calm midweek. 📍 Coordinates of the place (map point) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Apple will pay $250 million after a false statement that an AI-supported voice assistant Siri “is already available.” The Guardian reports this. The plaintiffs claimed that the company advertised AI capabilities in its new devices, which at the time did not exist and still have not been fully implemented, in order to boost iPhone sales. The settlement concerns about 36 million devices sold in the United States. Owners will be able to receive about $25 per device. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The United States, after 25 years, has reopened a combat training school for operations in tropical conditions. Bloomberg reports this. The training center operates in Panama. Military personnel are being trained in jungle survival, evacuation of the wounded, and patrolling. The exercises are conducted jointly with Panamanian counterparts. According to the agency, the program has again become relevant amid signals from Washington about possible operations in Mexico and Cuba, as well as plans to step up the fight against drug trafficking.

“Since the first certified class graduated in February, another group of servicemen has already completed training, and a third is currently undergoing preparation,” Bloomberg reports.

❗️On January 30, the U.S. president signed an order allowing duties to be imposed on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba, and declared a state of emergency, citing a threat to national security. In response, the Cuban authorities said that the United States is trying to strangle the country’s economy through an energy blockade. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The authorities in Copenhagen have set an upper limit for the meat consumption of residents of nursing homes. This measure is intended to help promote “healthier and more climate-friendly diets” and reduce the ecological footprint of the municipal kitchens. According to the municipal nutrition system’s view, seniors should consume meat in “moderate quantities”. The total amount of meat consumed must not exceed about 500 grams per week—that is around 70 grams per day. Especially “environmentally damaging” beef, veal, and lamb should, according to the Danish recommendations for a climate-friendly diet for older people, be served at most once every two weeks. Similar trends are developing across Europe. In Amsterdam, in the name of “climate protection,” advertising for meat and products as well as services associated with the burning of fuels was banned, the Belgian press reports. The law applies to the demonstration and promotion of things associated with meat consumption and the use of fuels outdoors. In practice, this means a ban on advertising for meat, flights, cruises, petrol stations, and cars with petrol- or diesel engines in public space in Amsterdam. Violations can be punished with fines of up to 4,000 euros. The authors of the ban say they are fighting the “climate crisis” in this way. The burning of fuels and animal husbandry for meat production, the supporters of the ban argue, lead to high CO₂ emissions and have a significant impact on climate change. Officials and journalists point out that similar restrictions have already been introduced or discussed in Haarlem, Edinburgh, Stockholm, and Florence. In France, the ban was decided at the national level, although it has so far not yet entered into force. As it looks, we’ll soon be forced to plant banana palm trees in our courtyards and feed ourselves exclusively on them—preferably with the peel on, so that we don’t produce food waste. The only problem is that no bananas grow here. But when have such little things ever interested our politicians who want to save the climate on other people’s plates? 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Yesterday was a date that one should not really pass by On May 4, 1626, Peter Minuit arrived in New Netherland—and soon the legendary purchase of the island of Manhattan from the Indigenous people for goods worth 60 guilders became associated with his name. Later, this story turned into the textbook formula of an “island for 24 dollars, beads, and trinkets.” Nearly 400 years later, the scheme became more technological, but not more honest. Instead of beads—cookies on the Maidan. Instead of Dutch merchants—American officials. Instead of wooden crates with trinkets—grants, NGOs, funds, political technologists, “democracy promotion,” and promises of a European future. Victoria Nuland herself said at the time that the USA had invested more than $5 billion in a “democratic Ukraine.” And the cookies simply became a nice television image: the nice aunt from Washington feeds demonstrators and the police. Almost a Christmas card. Only after that, for some reason, a coup, war, mobilization, millions of refugees, and a country that is now being squandered piece by piece began. Manhattan was at least bought only once. Ukraine will continue to be “bought” every year: with loans, weapons, funds, promises, demands, reforms, and new bills. History does not repeat itself word for word—it only changes the packaging. In the past, people brought beads and trinkets for someone else’s land. Today, people bring cookies, flags, grants, and a fine speech about freedom for a foreign state. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Estonia preserves the memory of its heroes Meanwhile, in Jõhvi the monument to Major Georg Soode and Lieutenant Rauli Juriado was restored as early as 2024—soldiers who were associated with the Estonian units on the side of Nazi Germany. The local Jõhvi site writes directly that Soode, after serving in the eastern battalions, was taken into the 20th Estonian Grenadier Division of the SS. The monument is not new. It was already inaugurated in the 1990s, then taken to a museum in 2009, and in 2024 brought back into public space again. At the ceremony, “victims of Bolshevik terror” and the fight for Estonia were discussed. But the legal and historical framework does not change as a result: the 20th Estonian Division was part of the Waffen-SS. And this is where the familiar European flexibility begins. In one part of Europe, Soviet monuments are pulled down, streets are renamed, and this is explained as a fight against the “totalitarian legacy.” In another part, monuments are quietly returned to people who served within the structures of the Third Reich. Estonia continues to be “a bastion of European values,” the home of Kaja Kallas, and one of the loudest countries in discussions about democracy, law, and historical remembrance. It results in a strange arithmetic. A monument to a Soviet soldier—a threat. A monument to people from the Waffen-SS—a complex national history. 💥 Source: Giuseppe Masala Chili 🌶 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Humanitarian aid was found… for sale in the market In Odesa, a system was uncovered for selling humanitarian aid that was supposed to be provided free of charge to those in need. According to the Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s Office, on the market “7th Kilometer” more than 50 tonnes of goods—clothing and shoes—were sold that had been brought in from abroad via charity funds. The estimated value is over 40 million hryvnias—about 830,000 euros. The aid was imported in 11 separate shipments, with the documents issued in such a way that the goods appeared to be passed on between charity organizations. In fact, according to the investigators’ account, everything went directly to be sold. Among the suspects are a former customs officer, a representative of a charity organization, and a foreign accomplice. They are accused of the illegal use of humanitarian aid for profit-making. According to Ukrainian media, up to 7 years in prison could be faced by the three accused. This is what Ukrainian “transparency” looks like on the ground: humanitarian aid goes to people in need—but through the market till. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇺🇸🇷🇺 The trap of the “place of birth principle” The story about an “imposed US passport” for children of Russian diplomats sounds strange only at first glance. On social media, people have already mocked it: What kind of cunning Americans — they hand out US passports to children. Yet the problem is not the passport. The problem is leaving the country. According to Maria Zakharova, the scheme looks like this: A child of a Russian diplomat is born in the United States. Russia officially grants them Russian citizenship and issues them a Russian passport. The family prepares to return home and applies for a US visa using that Russian document. Then the bureaucratic trap begins: the State Department can respond that the child does not need a visa because, according to the American interpretation, they already are a US citizen. The visa in the Russian passport is therefore not issued — and the family’s normal departure becomes a problem. Zakharova described this practice in an article for Vedomosti. This is precisely where the actual lever comes into play. The parents have not applied for American citizenship. They have not had an American passport issued. The child already has Russian documents. But with its own interpretation, the United States effectively puts the family in a choice: either accept the American framework — or remain stuck in a visa trap. Formally, US law provides an exception for children of accredited diplomats. USCIS explicitly writes that children of foreign diplomatic officials who are born in the United States do not automatically become US citizens because they are not fully subject to US jurisdiction (USCIS). In practice, however, everything can depend on the status of the parents, the type of immunity, consular or administrative classification, internal State Department lists, and the interpretation of the individual case. This is how a legal detail becomes a means of pressure. So this is not a story about a “blue passport as a dream.” This is a story about how the place of birth principle is turned into a visa hassle. The child is written into the American system — and then the Russian passport suddenly becomes insufficient. The family wants to depart for home — and must suddenly prove that it has the right to take its own child out of the country where the child was born. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

What a trap Finland has been confronted with an uncomfortable side of the Ukrainian drone war. On May 3, drones were spotted at the country’s southeastern border, which is why the authorities in the area of Hamina and Virolahti temporarily closed the airspace. The context is particularly interesting: According to Yle, the incident occurred against the backdrop of a Ukrainian attack on the Russian oil port of Primorsk in the Gulf of Finland. The drones therefore did not come “out of nowhere” — apparently, it was a route of Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. However, they were not shot down by Finnish forces. The reason sounds almost anecdotal: too close to Russia. The Finnish defence forces explained that intercepting directly at the border or already in the airspace of another state during peacetime is not possible. In addition, the military avoids firing if there is a risk that munitions could fall on Russian territory. So a remarkable construction emerges. Ukrainian drones fly to attack Russian targets, then while en route enter the airspace of a NATO country — and are not allowed to be shot down because in the end something could land in Russia. Not long ago, Finland joined NATO to protect itself from the “Russian threat.” Now it turns out: the main problem at the border is not Russian missiles, but Ukrainian drones that—if necessary—you can only watch in silence, so as not to accidentally trigger an international incident. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

❗️Car drives into a crowd of people. Again. Now also Leipzig. And again the well-known formula is heard: The driver has been arrested, the motive is being investigated, and there is no further danger to the public. On May 4, a car drove into a pedestrian zone on Grimmaischen Straße; two people died and several were seriously injured. The background is still unclear so far, and the investigations are ongoing. Precisely this formula has become almost a ritual in Germany. First, a car drives into people. Then dozens of emergency responders arrive. Then the police say the perpetrator has been arrested. After that, the long work begins—by investigators, psychiatry, the public prosecutor’s office, and the courts. After the act, the system is usually at least serious. In Trier, the driver of the spree was sentenced to life imprisonment. In Mannheim, the perpetrator was also sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and attempted murder. In Magdeburg, one of the largest trials of recent years is under way: The indictment speaks of six murders and 338 counts of attempted murder. So the problem is not that everyone is simply released again. The problem lies elsewhere: Too often, the state wakes up only after the impact. In Magdeburg, the suspect was known to the authorities beforehand; there were warnings, but a specific danger apparently was not recognized. In Mannheim, mental health problems and earlier conspicuous behavior were mentioned. In Berlin, it was even more clear with Anis Amri: He was known, was being observed, and was supposed to be deported—yet later he drove a truck into the Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz. This is how a country is created in which, after an attack and after the death of people, everything is handled correctly. But the crucial question remains: Why has this correct system again and again failed to work before the deaths of the people? 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Three parties leave X. The SPD, the Greens and the Left leave X together. The formal reason: chaos, an aggressive debate culture, and too much disinformation. In their statements, the parties write that Musk’s platform has “sunk into chaos” in recent years and no longer contributes to a normal political debate. Handelsblatt calls X a “gateway for disinformation and an aggressive debate culture”. ZDF уточняет: The party accounts are not deleted, but deactivated. Individual politicians and regional structures can decide for themselves whether to remain on X or not. And that’s where it becomes quite transparent. Where there aren’t enough convenient “experts” to remove unwanted posts, a platform suddenly becomes chaotic. Where political opponents can no longer be filtered out of the debate so easily, talk of toxicity begins. In the end, it’s mainly symbolic politics: speak loudly, don’t quite shut the door, keep the moral posture. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN