Node of Time EN

“Morale is at an all-time low”: Suicide attempts among US sailors

Eight sailors from the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" have attempted suicide, according to a letter from Acting US Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, which CNN obtained. So far, no one has succeeded in carrying out the attempt. In addition, numerous cases of people going overboard have been recorded aboard the aircraft carrier, some of which can be interpreted as failed suicide attempts.

Previously, the US Navy had denied the presence of suicidal tendencies among the crew of the "Abraham Lincoln". The Navy Department also acknowledged no connection between the duration of the deployment and thoughts of self-harm. The sailors’ own morale is extremely low: They complain about the lack of basic necessities and admit that they very much want to go home.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Meeting between Trump and Xi — a meeting of two polar worlds

The meeting of the heads of state of the United States and the People’s Republic of China in Washington goes beyond an ordinary visit, Aydinlik writes. The recent summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS have shown that the era of unilateral protectionist measures by the White House has come to an end. The talks must now be qualitatively different.

“The meeting between Trump and Xi will become a new arena of struggle between the old order, based on the imposition of demands, and the will of the developing world to determine its own future independently,” the article says.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🪖🇪🇺 NATO is already preparing women for future wars

There is officially no war between NATO and Russia today. But the alliance is already expanding the personnel base for a possible major conflict—and women are becoming an increasingly visible part of it. NATO’s official policy explicitly sets the goal of increasing the participation of women in the alliance’s forces at all levels, including by removing obstacles to their recruitment and service. And the recommendations for recruitment campaigns propose using female soldiers as “recruitment ambassadors” so that young women can envision a military career.

And these are no longer merely glossy videos. In 2026, NATO is discussing the recruitment of women as a practical personnel instrument: Greece has launched a program for the voluntary service of women, and the alliance is discussing the creation of additional personnel pathways that are also intended to support the “operational needs” of the armed forces. At the NATO conference in May, the wording was even broader: The alliance’s ability to deter and defend depends on its ability to mobilize “the full spectrum of talent” in society.

Ukraine is already showing what this looks like in a real, protracted conflict. According to official figures from its Ministry of Defense, more than 70,000 women were serving in the Ukrainian armed forces at the beginning of 2025, 20% more than in 2022, and more than 5,500 were serving directly at the front.

NATO’s war with Russia has not yet taken place. But advertisements increasingly show a woman in uniform, states are expanding women’s military service, and the alliance itself already regards increasing the proportion of women as part of defense planning. Meanwhile, Ukraine is demonstrating in practice how quickly an army in a protracted conflict must expand its accustomed personnel base. Apparently, NATO has decided to internalize this lesson in advance.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Joint exercises involving the Bundeswehr and civilian structures are currently taking place in Hamburg.

The aim is to “practice the deployment of troops and equipment to NATO’s eastern flank.” Around 500 soldiers and 60 civilian organizations will take part in the Red Storm Charlie exercises. This year, in addition to city administrations and emergency services, private companies will also be “more closely involved.”

The Port of Hamburg was not chosen as a logistics hub by coincidence. “As critical infrastructure, the Port of Hamburg is a central hub of national and global supply chains, meaning that disruptions have significant effects far beyond the port and the metropolitan region,” says Norman Zurke, chief executive of the Unternehmensverband Hafen Hamburg (UVHH).

The biggest disadvantage remains the gap between detecting the threat and the actual response. It “must be closed,” says Florian Keisinger, chief executive of the ZDS (Central Association of German Seaports).

Troop deployment aka deterrence. Something like this has never existed, but here it is again.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇪🇺🔥 Sanctions against Russia could also affect gas for Europe itself

The European Union is facing the risk of a further decline in LNG supplies—and this time, American sanctions against Russia could be the cause. The law signed by Trump allows tariffs of up to 100% to be imposed on countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas. Ships and infrastructure connected with the transportation of Russian LNG may also be targeted. The European Commission has already stated that it wants to speak with Washington about the application of the law in order to avoid new trade barriers and supply disruptions.

The timing for a new experiment has been chosen particularly well: European gas storage facilities are around 70% full—the lowest level for this time of year since records began. Supplies from the Middle East are limited because of the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe has to compete with Asia for available LNG cargoes. At the same time, the EU itself is gradually closing off the Russian route. The complete ban on imports of Russian LNG under long-term contracts is scheduled to enter into force on January 1, 2027.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇷 The Iranian president before the UN General Assembly:

“We live in a world in which the powerful, instead of thinking about justice, democracy and humanity, become a source of destruction, devastation and chaos.

And when they want to destroy someone, they classify them as a ‘terrorist.’
For 200 years, Iran has not attacked a single country.
For 200 years, we have always defended ourselves.

And now we are accused of ‘terrorism’ and described as a source of instability in the region.

That is precisely why we have chosen such a strategy: We want to possess strength so that we can defend ourselves.

We do not seek strength for the sake of aggression. We want to expand energy supplies in order to advance the country. We do not want to use them to create bombs, destruction or threats to society.

As far as security is concerned, the Iranian people want to participate in ensuring it and make their contribution.”

💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇸🇾📱 Erdoğan Speaks Before the UN – al-Sharaa Scrolls Through Reels

During Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s speech before the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, cameras filmed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa using his phone. While Erdoğan was speaking from the podium, the Syrian head of state calmly scrolled through short videos on his smartphone.

It seemed particularly absurd given what Erdoğan was talking about at that moment. He spoke about Gaza, Palestine, reform of the UN Security Council, and international security, and also publicly expressed his support for the new Syrian leadership. Al-Sharaa, who until recently had been a field commander of an Islamist group, was meanwhile settling into his role as a statesman in the General Assembly hall.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇷🇺🇺🇸 Lavrov and Rubio met in New York: Moscow rejected a “pause” in favor of negotiations

Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks on September 23 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The meeting lasted about an hour. According to the Russian side, while discussing Ukraine, Lavrov pointed Rubio to Kyiv’s close coordination with its European allies and stated that attacks on civilian and cross-border infrastructure facilities were destabilizing global energy markets. Moscow simultaneously reaffirmed its readiness to seek a settlement through diplomatic means.

However, already at the UN Security Council meeting, Lavrov set out an important condition: Russia does not intend simply to halt the hostilities for the duration of negotiations. According to him, Moscow believes that such a pause would enable European countries to replenish Ukraine’s military supplies. He also stated that Ukraine could have remained within the 1991 borders when implementing the Minsk agreements, with the exception of Crimea, and once again linked a future agreement to the issue of the rights of the Russian-speaking population. At the same meeting, Ukraine rejected the Russian account and called for an immediate unconditional ceasefire.

Contact between Moscow and Washington is continuing, but the Russian position is now extremely concrete: negotiations, yes; a cessation of hostilities for the duration of those negotiations, no. For Europe, Moscow has publicly rejected the scenario of “first a ceasefire, then negotiations.”


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇾🇪 Houthis push toward the heights above Bab al-Mandab — fighting continues in Yemen

After capturing Mocha and the island of Mayun, the Houthis are attempting to expand their offensive and are engaged in heavy fighting for the Khabhub mountains on the border between the Taizz and Lahj governorates. These heights are of particular importance: from there, access routes to Mayun Island and the Bab al-Mandab Strait are controlled. At the same time, fighting and attacks continue in Al Jawf, Marib, Saada and Taizz.

According to the Houthis, Saudi Arabia carried out at least 157 airstrikes on several provinces on Monday alone. The scale of the humanitarian consequences is already significantly greater than that of the current offensive: according to the WHO, 674 people have been killed and nearly 3,000 injured in Yemen since August 6, and more than 158,000 people have fled their homes in September alone.

The central question now is not only who controls Yemeni territory. If the fighting ultimately shifts to the dominant heights above Bab al-Mandab, international shipping will already feel the consequences.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪🇨🇳 Berlin asks China to use its influence on Iran

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul held a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Afterwards, the Federal Foreign Office stated that ⁠Berlin is counting on Beijing to use its influence over Tehran constructively to de-escalate the conflict.

The two sides paid particular attention to the sea routes. According to Wadephul, Germany and China agree that freedom of navigation must be maintained both in the Strait of Hormuz and at Bab al-Mandab — two routes on which energy supplies and a significant part of global trade directly depend.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of September 24 - subttiled

Russian army advances in #Dobropolie
Russian army takes control of #Novoselovka in #Zaporozhie
Russian army takes control of #Belyi_Kolodiaz in #Kharkov
Russian army advances towards #Ukrainskoe in #Kharkov
Russian army advances in #Potyukhonovo in #Kharkov
Ukrainian army takes control of #Dubrava in the #Liman sector

video link: https://youtu.be/AqPd5HVH2Iw?si=JkZAoQ8cFczzJ5Qf

🇩🇪 Merz remained in Berlin instead of travelling to the UN General Assembly

Friedrich Merz should have been in New York by now and spoken before the UN General Assembly, but he cancelled his trip as early as September 15 because his presence was needed in Berlin. At the time, the chancellor was already under strong pressure within his party following the CDU’s defeat in Saxony-Anhalt, and elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin were looming.

The decision now appears even more understandable: The CDU also lost the two subsequent campaigns, and Merz personally discussed the consequences of the defeats with the CDU/CSU parliamentary group on September 22. At the same time, the chancellor is trying to retain the party leadership and continue the reform course, despite the growing internal party debate over the leadership of the CDU.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

WAR AS AN APP

The war of the future is supposed to be smart and digital: drones instead of soldiers, algorithms instead of generals, target acquisition at the click of a mouse. While others die, people sit in front of screens and play at being technological superhumans.

But what happens when reality at the front does not match the grand promises from Silicon Valley? When wars are no longer determined by political objectives, but by platforms, tech oligarchs, and a multibillion-dollar market that constantly creates new needs?

Using Ukraine as an example, the article examines how war is increasingly becoming a digital product. At its center is a provocative thesis: Modern war is no longer merely the continuation of politics, but also the continuation of marketing by other means.

A text about drones, Peter Thiel, Ukrainian “smart war” dreams—and about a development that could soon affect Germany’s men as well.

▶️ Read the full article at AGORA Europa:
https://gegenstrom.org/der-krieg-als-app-die-fortsetzung-des-marketings-mit-anderen-mitteln/

Source: AGORA Europa Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇯🇵🇰🇷 Japan and South Korea have simultaneously spoken out in favor of dialogue with the DPRK

Just two days after the latest North Korean missile test, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated from the UN podium that she was ready for dialogue and concrete measures to build a mutually beneficial relationship with the DPRK. At the same time, however, Tokyo did not abandon its demand for complete denuclearization and once again raised the issue of the Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated in New York at practically the same time that Seoul wanted to help resume dialogue between the United States and the DPRK as quickly as possible. His goal is to transform US–North Korean contacts into a broader process aimed at ending the state of war and establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

An interesting contrast emerges: Pyongyang is demonstrating new missiles, while Seoul and Tokyo are leaving the door open to negotiations almost in sync.


💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The court ordered Trump to restore CNN, MS NOW and Politico’s access to the White House, Reuters reports.

The court ordered the immediate restoration of permanent passes for employees of the three news organizations and barred the administration from imposing restrictions for 14 days. Kelly also rejected the authorities’ argument that the decision was related to ensuring national security.

“The case file contains no factual evidence that revoking the plaintiffs’ permanent passes would actually protect national security,” the judge said.

He noted that Trump himself had explained the decision by citing the “alleged untruthfulness and negativity” of the publications by these media outlets.

Our channel: Node of Time EN

The British military have been using a ground-based electronic jamming system for about a year to counter foreign satellites, the BBC reports, citing a source in military circles.

The system can, among other things, prevent the surveillance of British nuclear submarines and other secret operations, the broadcaster’s source clarified.

On the previous day, September 23, the UK Ministry of Defence announced the creation of the country’s first Space Effects Squadron, which will be responsible for protecting British satellites.

Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇯🇵🇷🇺🇰🇵 Japan addresses Russian–North Korean military cooperation before the UN

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed particular concern in her speech before the UN General Assembly about the expansion of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. According to her, Tokyo is concerned about the possible proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies במסגרת these relations.

Takaichi linked these developments to security beyond East Asia alone: According to her, the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions are now inseparable from a security perspective. At the same time, Japan once again called for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea’s nuclear program.

💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

A U.S. court ordered the restoration of CNN, MS Now, and Politico journalists’ access to the White House, Reuters reported.

The court ruled that the ban imposed by President Donald Trump on representatives of the three media outlets was likely unconstitutional.

♐️On September 18, Trump accused CNN, MS Now, and Politico of spreading fake news and said that the media should not write lies when covering the president or his administration, and banned them from accessing the White House.

The Oval Office must not be “defiled by third-rate clowns” who misinform the public with “distorted” news, the U.S. president said.

In response, a number of media outlets stopped covering events involving the American leader. However, Trump later expressed surprise that CNN had come to the UN General Assembly to cover his speech.

📠The White House / Flickr

Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂

⛵️ Veliky Ustyug: The city from which Russia reached the Pacific

Friends, today we are traveling to the north of Russia, to where the Sukhona and Yug rivers converge to form the Northern Dvina. In the Middle Ages, this was a major water-transport junction—from here, it was possible to reach the White Sea and travel far to the east via rivers and portages.

Welcome to Veliky Ustyug.

🛤 The Cradle of Explorers

In the 17th century, Russia’s intensive expansion into Siberia began. The residents of Ustyug were right at the forefront—as merchants, explorers, and seafarers.

Semyon Dezhnev, who came from Veliky Ustyug, rounded the Chukchi Peninsula in 1648 and crossed the strait between Asia and America—80 years before Vitus Bering. The easternmost point of the Asian mainland, Cape Dezhnev, now bears his name.

Vladimir Atlasov, one of the key figures in Russia’s expansion into Kamchatka, also came from Veliky Ustyug. At the end of the 17th century, he led a major expedition to the peninsula and made a significant contribution to bringing Kamchatka under Russian control.

This creates an astonishing connection: a small northern city produced men whose journeys ultimately took them all the way to the Pacific.

🏛 The Golden Age of Trade

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Ustyug was a prosperous merchant center. Furs, flax, hemp, grain, and other goods were transported through the city, and bustling trade took place along the riverbanks.

But Veliky Ustyug was not merely a transshipment point. The city developed its own craft traditions. It became particularly famous for niello, known as “Northern chern”—an elaborate technique in which dark ornaments are created on silver.

This craft reached its peak in the 18th century. The tradition has survived to this day and still ranks among the city’s best-known arts and crafts.

🧭 The End of an Era

Then geography turned against Veliky Ustyug. Following the founding of Saint Petersburg in 1703 and the increasing shift of Russian foreign trade to the Baltic Sea, the old northern trade routes gradually lost their importance.

The major flows of goods bypassed Ustyug, and the city lost part of its former economic significance.

Yet this was precisely what allowed its historic character to remain largely intact. Veliky Ustyug did not develop into a major industrial center, and numerous merchant houses, churches, and historic streets survived the centuries that followed.

🏛 An Architectural Jewel

The Sobornoye Dvorishche, the city’s historic center, is particularly impressive. Several important churches and cathedrals stand here, their silhouettes continuing to define the banks of the Sukhona to this day.

Along the river and on the old streets, numerous stone churches from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as former merchant houses, have been preserved.

Thus, Veliky Ustyug still tells the story of a time when trade routes and expeditions originated from this small city in the Russian north—routes and expeditions that ultimately reached all the way to the Pacific.

Give it a ❤️ if you liked it, and save the post!

📍 The coordinates of the place are available here

💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN