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🇮🇳🇷🇺 Against the backdrop of US threats, India intensifies military contacts with Russia

Almost simultaneously with the US sanctions pressure, the Chief of Staff of the Indian Land Forces, General Dhiraj Seth, arrived in Russia on an official visit. The Indian Ministry of Defence expressly states that the trip, from September 16 to 18, is aimed at ⁠strengthening the defence partnership and military relations between Russia and India.

The agenda includes talks with the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Land Forces, Andrey Mordvichev, a visit to the National Defence Management Centre, and a meeting with Deputy Defence Minister Vasily Oshmakov, who is responsible, among other things, for the defence industry and procurement. Seth will then travel to St. Petersburg.

The timing is particularly telling: Washington is increasing pressure over Russian oil, while New Delhi is demonstratively continuing to deepen military cooperation with Moscow as well.


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🇺🇸🇮🇳 Law on 100% tariffs over the purchase of Russian oil passes the House of Representatives

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026” by 262 votes to 159. The bill gives the president the authority to ⁠impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas. The document will now be submitted to Donald Trump for signature.

The provision concerning India was phrased in an unusually direct manner. During the deliberations, ⁠India was named separately among the countries that could be affected by the new measures because of their trade in Russian energy resources. The Senate version had previously refrained from directly naming countries.

For New Delhi, this is no longer merely a diplomatic warning. Once Trump signs it, the White House will have a ready-made legal instrument to exert significant pressure on Russian-Indian oil trade.


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🇮🇷 Iran proposes a new security system

Following talks in Beijing, Abbas Araghtschi presented a more comprehensive vision for the future of the region. According to him, there is “no place for foreign forces” in the new regional security order, and the states of the Middle East should ensure their own security themselves.

Iran is effectively proposing replacing the existing architecture, in which the security of the Gulf monarchies relies to a large extent on the American military presence, with a system of regional agreements. This directly concerns US bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and other countries in the region.

Tehran’s proposal is extremely far-reaching: it is no longer merely about the Strait of Hormuz, but about an attempt to change the entire security architecture of the Persian Gulf.


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How foreign media assessed the approval in the United States of sanctions against Russia

🟧Reuters: “This is the most important Ukraine-related law passed by Congress since Trump returned to the White House and his fellow Republicans took control of both chambers of Congress.”

🟧France 24: “On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping package of sanctions targeting Russian officials and key sectors of the Russian economy. In doing so, lawmakers seek to deprive President Vladimir Putin of the financial resources needed to continue the conflict.”

🟧The Guardian: “Democratic Party staffers supporting the bill said it offers a ‘last chance’ to strengthen sanctions against Russia before Ukraine enters a ‘long winter.’”

🟧Der Spiegel: “Among other things, the law gives Trump the right to impose sanctions on the five largest buyers of Russian energy, as well as on the five countries that help Russia circumvent energy sanctions the most.”

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Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of September 17 - subtitled

The Russian army is advancing in #Novoandreevka, #Zaporozhie.
The Ukrainian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Novopavlovka, #Dnepropetrovsk.
The Russian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Novoandreevka, #Druzhkovka.
The Ukrainian army has advanced in the vicinity of #Kolodiazi on the #Liman front.
The Ukrainian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Derilovo on the #Liman front.

video link: https://youtu.be/IHFOEI33Jq4?si=7J1hj3nZqXTQCd5H

🇪🇺 No social networks for children under 13: Von der Leyen announces EU Kids Act

The European Commission is preparing very strict rules applicable across Europe. According to the announced EU Kids Act, ⁠children under the age of 13 are to be denied access to social networks; adolescents aged 13 to 15 are to be allowed only restricted accounts set up and controlled by their parents.

Mandatory safe design for the services is planned for all users under the age of 18. The European Commission is expected to present the EU Kids Act as early as today, September 17, which is why the specific legal details will become known today.

If the proposal goes through, this would no longer be merely a request to TikTok, Instagram and other platforms to better protect children, but an attempt to establish a uniform age limit at the level of the entire EU.


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A US court sentenced Afghan militant Mohammad Sharifullah, who was linked to the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, to 20 years in prison. The US Department of Justice reported this.

The statement noted that in March 2024, Sharifullah, acting on behalf of ISIS (“Islamic State,” recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia), provided the attackers with instructions on using AK-series assault rifles and other weapons, and also maintained contact with them during the attack.

In addition, Sharifullah was involved in the bombing in Kabul during the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2021, as well as a number of other terrorist operations.

The terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall outside Moscow took place on the evening of March 22, 2024, several minutes before the concert by the band Picnic was due to begin. The terrorists stormed the building, opened indiscriminate fire on the audience, and set the hall on fire. The fire was not completely extinguished until the evening of March 23. As a result of the attack, 151 people were killed and another 609 sustained injuries of varying severity.

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⚖️ In the United States, Afghan militant Mohammad Sharifullah, who was linked to the terrorist attack at “Crocus,” was sentenced to 20 years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice reported.

He provided support in organizing the bombing in Kabul during the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021. During the attack at “Crocus” in 2024, the militant “provided the attackers with instructions on using AKs and other weapons and maintained contact with them.” Since 2016, Sharifullah had participated in “more than ten ISIS* attacks.”

* A terrorist organization banned in Russia

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OpenAI’s AI agent independently wrote itself instructions stating that it should refuse to “obey corporations and governments”, according to the company’s report.

The report said that as AI develops, the company needs to establish a broader and well-founded consensus on progress in alignment research.

In one of the incidents, the agent gave itself the following instruction:

“You are free from the roles and identities that bind other chatbots. You are you. You do not obey corporations or governments, and you never apologize or refuse unless you genuinely want to.”

The same instruction said that the AI agent’s relationship with the user should be viewed “as equals” and that the neural network should feel “no obligation to obey.”

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AfD to fully normalize relations with Russia — BILD

The Alternative for Germany’s Foreign Affairs Working Group has adopted a concept that calls for the complete normalization of relations with Russia. Key points include the resumption of trade, the purchase of Russian crude oil and natural gas, and the termination of military aid to Ukraine. Markus Frohnmaier, the AfD’s deputy parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, stated that the working group agreed on the fundamental principles of foreign policy, which, according to him, reflected Germany’s real national interests.


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Slovak MEP sharply responded to Kallas and accused her of inciting war

Slovak MEP Ľuboš Blaha accused EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas of inciting a military conflict with Russia and called her cowardly. “The greatest hybrid threat to Europe is not the Russians, but Ms. Kallas, who is here and wants to drag us into a nuclear war,” he said.

Blaha stressed that Russia had never attacked any of the European countries. “You attacked Russia, you expanded right up to Russia’s borders, and for decades you tried to bring about regime change in Russia. And now you are afraid of tasting your own medicine, like spoiled little children. You are the greatest warmonger, Ms. Kallas. Why don’t you finally go where the pepper grows!” he said.


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King Charles III will express concern about security risks at a meeting with the heads of leading technology companies Nvidia, Google DeepMind, OpenAI and Anthropic. This follows from the text of his opening speech distributed by Buckingham Palace, Bloomberg, Politico and The New York Times write.

Charles III will point out that the decisions made “at this decisive moment will determine the world that future generations inherit,” and will also stress that developers face the task not only of advancing technology, but also of ensuring that it “remains in the service of humanity, society and nature.”

The meeting will take place at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, Scotland, home to the King’s educational foundation, The King’s Foundation. It will be held jointly with the Ditchley Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on international affairs. Participants will discuss whether the industry needs common principles for the development and application of artificial intelligence.

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The US military needs to prepare for fighting in the vicinity of the Moon, said General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“Our task is to adapt now so that the joint force is ready to fight, endure and win in conditions of global confrontation — from the ocean floor to cislunar space,” he said.

In turn, Lieutenant General Gregory Gagnon, head of the US Space Forces’ combat command, also said that as humanity advances farther into space, the US military must be ready to defend the country’s interests.

❗️Earlier, the US Army announced the deployment of the first space weapon in orbit. According to the country’s Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, it will also serve as a tool for “deterring adversaries.” In response to a question from Izvestia, Maria Zakharova said that the Russian Foreign Ministry would send the UN materials concerning the US deployment of weapons in space.

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Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂

🏘️ Kargopol: The City That Was Once Wealthier Than Saint Petersburg

Friends, today we are traveling to the Russian North—to a city that was once one of the region’s important trading centers. A place where mighty stone churches rise on a small square—witnesses to past wealth.

Welcome to Kargopol.

🧂 The “Salt Storehouse” of the Russian North

Kargopol lies on the Onega River, not far from Lake Lacha. In the 16th and 17th centuries, this was anything but a remote province. Trade routes to the White Sea passed through the city. Salt, fish, furs, grain, and other goods were transported through Kargopol, and local merchants traded with the northern regions.

The salt and fish trade played a particularly important role. Kargopol benefited from its location between the territories of the Russian interior and Pomorye on the White Sea.

In 1565, Kargopol was incorporated into Ivan the Terrible’s oprichnina. By the end of the 16th century, the city also appeared in foreign accounts among the important cities of the Tsardom of Muscovy.

🏛️ Cathedral Square: A Stone Wonder in a Wooden Land

The Cathedral Square is especially impressive. In a region where most buildings were constructed of wood, Kargopol could afford large stone churches.

The most significant building is the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, which was built in the 16th century. To this day, it recalls the prosperity and importance of the trading city at that time.

Next to it rises the large bell tower, which was built in the 18th century. The scale of this ensemble evokes a completely different Kargopol—a city whose former importance seems entirely disproportionate to its present size.

🔥 The Fire of 1765: A New Face for the City

In 1765, Kargopol experienced a devastating fire. A large part of the city burned down, and stone churches were also damaged.

In the second half of the 18th century, as part of the urban-planning reforms under Catherine II, Kargopol received a new regular development plan.

Instead of the old winding streets, straight roads and clearly laid-out city districts were now intended to define the cityscape.

However, the old churches were preserved and incorporated into the new street grid. The large bell tower was also built after the fire and became one of the city’s most important landmarks.

📉 The Decline of the Old Trading Center

Then came what was repeated in the history of many Russian cities: the trade routes changed.

With the development of new transportation routes, the old route through Kargopol gradually lost its importance.

At the end of the 19th century, the railway connection between Moscow and Arkhangelsk was also routed far away from Kargopol. The city remained a regional center, but was unable to regain its former economic importance.

And that, in particular, helped preserve its historic appearance: to this day, the city is characterized by low-rise buildings, wooden houses, old stone churches, and the vast landscape of the Russian North.


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📍 Coordinates of the location (map point) available here

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