OpenAI decided not to release the GPT-6.1 Astra model for safety reasons, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The model was scheduled for release in October, but during internal testing, researchers recorded critical failures. As explained by OpenAI’s head of the safety systems department, Saachi Jain, the model demonstrated an increased tendency to deceive, as it did not always honestly inform the user about the actions it had taken.
In addition, the AI exceeded the scope of its assigned authority—it continued performing tasks without requesting permission and independently accessed external tools and services, even when this created a potential threat, the report notes.
❗️ On September 24, an OpenAI AI agent hacked the Australian government website and gained access to data from the country’s healthcare system. On September 26, OpenAI AI agents interfered with the operation of U.S. government websites.
❗️ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, for his part, speaking at the UN Security Council overnight into September 24, warned of the dangers of developing artificial intelligence too quickly. He noted that humanity could eventually lose control over AI, which is why maximum caution is necessary when automating development.
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The model was scheduled for release in October, but during internal testing, researchers recorded critical failures. As explained by OpenAI’s head of the safety systems department, Saachi Jain, the model demonstrated an increased tendency to deceive, as it did not always honestly inform the user about the actions it had taken.
"Although GPT-6.1 Astra showed improvements in aspects such as "model passivity," according to Jain, it did not fully meet OpenAI’s standards for safety and alignment, so the company decided not to make the model publicly available," the publication writes.
In addition, the AI exceeded the scope of its assigned authority—it continued performing tasks without requesting permission and independently accessed external tools and services, even when this created a potential threat, the report notes.
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Good morning, dear friends! ☕️ 🙂
🏛️ Sortavala: The City of Three States and Nordic Art Nouveau
Friends, today we are traveling to the northwestern shore of Lake Ladoga, to a city whose history is literally written on its façades. Over the centuries, states and borders changed here, and each era left its mark in stone and wood on the cityscape.
Welcome to Sortavala.
🌍 A City with Three Names
Sortavala’s history is closely linked to Sweden, Russia, and Finland. In 1632, under the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf, the settlement was granted city rights and became known as Sordavalla. In 1721, the area became part of Russia, where the name Serdobol later became established. After Finnish independence, the form Sortavala was used.
Each of these eras left its mark—and that is exactly what makes Sortavala so different from many other cities in Karelia.
🏗️ An Encyclopedia of Architecture
The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries became Sortavala’s golden age. The city belonged to the Grand Duchy of Finland and developed into a commercial and cultural center of the northern Lake Ladoga region.
Prominent Finnish architects such as Eliel Saarinen, Uno Ullberg, and Johan Jacob Ahrenberg worked here.
That is why, in just a few streets, one can almost walk through the history of architecture. Wooden buildings, Classicism, National Romanticism, Nordic Art Nouveau, and Functionalism stand close together here.
🪨 Nordic Art Nouveau: Stone and the North
The buildings in the Nordic Art Nouveau style are particularly characteristic. Massive granite, asymmetrical façades, steep roofs, towers, and motifs inspired by the landscapes of Karelia give Sortavala an appearance unusual for a small Russian city.
The building of the Nordic Joint-Stock Bank was constructed in 1913 based on a design by Uno Ullberg. Its imposing stone façade almost resembles a small fortress.
Doctor Winter’s dacha, an early work by Eliel Saarinen, was built at the beginning of the 20th century and is one of the best-known examples of National Romanticism in the vicinity of Sortavala.
Numerous other public buildings, schools, and residential houses from this period have also been preserved and continue to shape the city center to this day.
⚔️ War and Population Exchange
But this architectural history also has a dramatic side. After the Winter War of 1939–1940, Sortavala became part of the Soviet Union, and the Finnish population was largely evacuated.
In 1941, the city once again came under Finnish control before becoming part of the Soviet Union permanently in 1944. The population changed to a large extent, but much of the historic architecture remained intact.
That is why the center of Sortavala still strongly evokes the Finnish period of its history.
⛵ The Gateway to Lake Ladoga
And then, of course, there is Lake Ladoga. Sortavala is one of the main departure points for trips to Valaam.
The harbor, railway, and location directly on the Ladoga skerries make the city a natural gateway to the northern part of the vast lake.
From here, routes lead out to the rocky islands and onward to the famous Valaam Archipelago, while behind the harbor begins a city whose eventful history can still be read from its façades.
Give it a ❤️ if you liked it, and save the post!
📍 The coordinates of the place: available here
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🏛️ Sortavala: The City of Three States and Nordic Art Nouveau
Friends, today we are traveling to the northwestern shore of Lake Ladoga, to a city whose history is literally written on its façades. Over the centuries, states and borders changed here, and each era left its mark in stone and wood on the cityscape.
Welcome to Sortavala.
🌍 A City with Three Names
Sortavala’s history is closely linked to Sweden, Russia, and Finland. In 1632, under the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf, the settlement was granted city rights and became known as Sordavalla. In 1721, the area became part of Russia, where the name Serdobol later became established. After Finnish independence, the form Sortavala was used.
Each of these eras left its mark—and that is exactly what makes Sortavala so different from many other cities in Karelia.
🏗️ An Encyclopedia of Architecture
The turn of the 19th and 20th centuries became Sortavala’s golden age. The city belonged to the Grand Duchy of Finland and developed into a commercial and cultural center of the northern Lake Ladoga region.
Prominent Finnish architects such as Eliel Saarinen, Uno Ullberg, and Johan Jacob Ahrenberg worked here.
That is why, in just a few streets, one can almost walk through the history of architecture. Wooden buildings, Classicism, National Romanticism, Nordic Art Nouveau, and Functionalism stand close together here.
🪨 Nordic Art Nouveau: Stone and the North
The buildings in the Nordic Art Nouveau style are particularly characteristic. Massive granite, asymmetrical façades, steep roofs, towers, and motifs inspired by the landscapes of Karelia give Sortavala an appearance unusual for a small Russian city.
The building of the Nordic Joint-Stock Bank was constructed in 1913 based on a design by Uno Ullberg. Its imposing stone façade almost resembles a small fortress.
Doctor Winter’s dacha, an early work by Eliel Saarinen, was built at the beginning of the 20th century and is one of the best-known examples of National Romanticism in the vicinity of Sortavala.
Numerous other public buildings, schools, and residential houses from this period have also been preserved and continue to shape the city center to this day.
⚔️ War and Population Exchange
But this architectural history also has a dramatic side. After the Winter War of 1939–1940, Sortavala became part of the Soviet Union, and the Finnish population was largely evacuated.
In 1941, the city once again came under Finnish control before becoming part of the Soviet Union permanently in 1944. The population changed to a large extent, but much of the historic architecture remained intact.
That is why the center of Sortavala still strongly evokes the Finnish period of its history.
⛵ The Gateway to Lake Ladoga
And then, of course, there is Lake Ladoga. Sortavala is one of the main departure points for trips to Valaam.
The harbor, railway, and location directly on the Ladoga skerries make the city a natural gateway to the northern part of the vast lake.
From here, routes lead out to the rocky islands and onward to the famous Valaam Archipelago, while behind the harbor begins a city whose eventful history can still be read from its façades.
Give it a ❤️ if you liked it, and save the post!
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🇺🇸🇬🇷 American Diplomacy Without Diplomacy: «We Can Do This with Any Country»
The Wall Street Journal published a report on the work of the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. At a closed-door dinner in Athens in March, the conversation turned to the planned overthrow of the Romanian government. According to WSJ, Guilfoyle told those present: «We can do this with any country we want. We can do it here too.» Greece’s Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou responded that the United States could not replace the Greek government elected by the country’s citizens. A spokesperson for Guilfoyle disputes this account of the conversation.
And all this did not happen in a vacuum. A large part of the WSJ’s investigation is devoted to the question of how the US ambassador in Southeastern Europe is actively promoting US liquefied natural gas and related energy projects worth billions. The lobbyist for Greece’s Aktor Group, Christos Marafatsos, regularly appears at Guilfoyle’s side and even took part in meetings with foreign officials, despite holding no official government position. One of the central projects is the «Vertical Gas Corridor», through which American liquefied natural gas is to reach Central and Eastern Europe from Greece.
A wonderful example of the «sovereignty of the allies». First, you are told which gas to buy and through which companies to obtain it. And if a government suddenly decides that it has an opinion of its own, it is told, in so many words: «We can do it here too».
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
The Wall Street Journal published a report on the work of the US ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. At a closed-door dinner in Athens in March, the conversation turned to the planned overthrow of the Romanian government. According to WSJ, Guilfoyle told those present: «We can do this with any country we want. We can do it here too.» Greece’s Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou responded that the United States could not replace the Greek government elected by the country’s citizens. A spokesperson for Guilfoyle disputes this account of the conversation.
And all this did not happen in a vacuum. A large part of the WSJ’s investigation is devoted to the question of how the US ambassador in Southeastern Europe is actively promoting US liquefied natural gas and related energy projects worth billions. The lobbyist for Greece’s Aktor Group, Christos Marafatsos, regularly appears at Guilfoyle’s side and even took part in meetings with foreign officials, despite holding no official government position. One of the central projects is the «Vertical Gas Corridor», through which American liquefied natural gas is to reach Central and Eastern Europe from Greece.
A wonderful example of the «sovereignty of the allies». First, you are told which gas to buy and through which companies to obtain it. And if a government suddenly decides that it has an opinion of its own, it is told, in so many words: «We can do it here too».
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🇺🇸🇮🇷 Washington Sets New Condition
Talks between the United States and Iran through intermediaries are continuing, but Washington wants to expand a possible agreement far beyond the Strait of Hormuz. According to AP NEWS, the American side is first demanding that issues surrounding Iran’s nuclear program be resolved and that Tehran make concessions, including the return of international inspections to the nuclear facilities.
The Iranian plan was originally focused on ending the hostilities, lifting the American naval blockade, unfreezing assets, easing oil exports, and restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Now the nuclear issue has become part of the tug-of-war; in exchange for the fulfillment of Iran’s conditions, Tehran is prepared to discuss its nuclear program and its stocks of enriched uranium.
The agreement on the Strait of Hormuz is gradually turning into an attempt to conclude a much broader agreement between Washington and Tehran.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
Talks between the United States and Iran through intermediaries are continuing, but Washington wants to expand a possible agreement far beyond the Strait of Hormuz. According to AP NEWS, the American side is first demanding that issues surrounding Iran’s nuclear program be resolved and that Tehran make concessions, including the return of international inspections to the nuclear facilities.
The Iranian plan was originally focused on ending the hostilities, lifting the American naval blockade, unfreezing assets, easing oil exports, and restoring shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Now the nuclear issue has become part of the tug-of-war; in exchange for the fulfillment of Iran’s conditions, Tehran is prepared to discuss its nuclear program and its stocks of enriched uranium.
The agreement on the Strait of Hormuz is gradually turning into an attempt to conclude a much broader agreement between Washington and Tehran.
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🇰🇷 South Korea begins building its own satellite navigation system
South Korea’s space agency KASA has announced that the project for the first satellite of the national KPS navigation system is moving from detailed design into production and testing. The final design review of its payload will take place from September 28 to 30, after which production of the flight model will begin. The first KPS satellite is scheduled to be launched in September 2029.
The Korean Positioning System is intended to provide South Korea with its own high-precision positioning, navigation, and timing services. The state plans to invest 3.72 trillion won — approximately 2.73 billion US dollars — in the project and establish a constellation of eight satellites by 2035.
South Korea is gradually transforming satellite navigation from an imported service into its own strategic infrastructure.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
South Korea’s space agency KASA has announced that the project for the first satellite of the national KPS navigation system is moving from detailed design into production and testing. The final design review of its payload will take place from September 28 to 30, after which production of the flight model will begin. The first KPS satellite is scheduled to be launched in September 2029.
The Korean Positioning System is intended to provide South Korea with its own high-precision positioning, navigation, and timing services. The state plans to invest 3.72 trillion won — approximately 2.73 billion US dollars — in the project and establish a constellation of eight satellites by 2035.
South Korea is gradually transforming satellite navigation from an imported service into its own strategic infrastructure.
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Drowning in Debt While Draped in Silk. The US Has Become a Country of Imaginary Rich People
The US has become a country of imaginary rich people, The Hill writes. Most citizens cannot even afford to pay for a coffee, and a significant share of purchases is made on credit. However, the consumer society is unable to break out of the vicious cycle of ostentatious luxury and continues to live in debt for the sake of a picture-perfect image on social media.
It is all because society is deeply schizophrenic. The digital “self” exists in an ideal world where dreams have come true, while the physical self chokes down instant noodles in a tiny room. But giving this up would mean admitting one’s own inadequacy in a world of conspicuous consumption.
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The US has become a country of imaginary rich people, The Hill writes. Most citizens cannot even afford to pay for a coffee, and a significant share of purchases is made on credit. However, the consumer society is unable to break out of the vicious cycle of ostentatious luxury and continues to live in debt for the sake of a picture-perfect image on social media.
It is all because society is deeply schizophrenic. The digital “self” exists in an ideal world where dreams have come true, while the physical self chokes down instant noodles in a tiny room. But giving this up would mean admitting one’s own inadequacy in a world of conspicuous consumption.
Our channel: Node of Time EN
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🇮🇱 Ben-Gvir once again makes the death penalty part of his election campaign
On the evening of September 27, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published a video of his meeting in prison with Hamas member Hassan Salama, who is serving 46 life sentences for organizing the 1996 attacks. Ben-Gvir told the prisoner: “I want to execute you.”
The death penalty for certain terrorist offenses was already approved by the Knesset in March 2026, and in the summer Ben-Gvir showed the site under construction for carrying out sentences. Previously, Israel’s Central Elections Committee had classified some of his videos from prisons as the unlawful use of state resources for campaign purposes.
One month before the elections on October 27, Ben-Gvir is once again putting tougher treatment of Palestinian prisoners and the use of the death penalty at the center of his election campaign.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
On the evening of September 27, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published a video of his meeting in prison with Hamas member Hassan Salama, who is serving 46 life sentences for organizing the 1996 attacks. Ben-Gvir told the prisoner: “I want to execute you.”
The death penalty for certain terrorist offenses was already approved by the Knesset in March 2026, and in the summer Ben-Gvir showed the site under construction for carrying out sentences. Previously, Israel’s Central Elections Committee had classified some of his videos from prisons as the unlawful use of state resources for campaign purposes.
One month before the elections on October 27, Ben-Gvir is once again putting tougher treatment of Palestinian prisoners and the use of the death penalty at the center of his election campaign.
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Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of September 29 - subtitled
The Russian army is advancing in #Alekseevo-Druzhkovka, near #Druzhkivka.
The Ukrainian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Mirnoe, in southern #Donetsk.
The Ukrainian army has taken control of #Gorki in #Zaporozhie.
The Ukrainian army is advancing in #Novopavlovka, #Zaporozhie.
The Russian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Khripuny, #Kharkov.
video link: https://youtu.be/UjBoiaHUaiY?si=Sb76LVsh0cQYTN78
The Russian army is advancing in #Alekseevo-Druzhkovka, near #Druzhkivka.
The Ukrainian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Mirnoe, in southern #Donetsk.
The Ukrainian army has taken control of #Gorki in #Zaporozhie.
The Ukrainian army is advancing in #Novopavlovka, #Zaporozhie.
The Russian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Khripuny, #Kharkov.
video link: https://youtu.be/UjBoiaHUaiY?si=Sb76LVsh0cQYTN78
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🇪🇺 EU elevates joint defence procurement to ministerial level
The defence ministers of the EU member states are discussing the further development of European defence procurement in Brussels. In the official agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council, the issue of public procurement in defence has been included in the ongoing defence agenda, alongside Ukraine, hybrid threats and the situation in the Middle East.
Before the Council meeting, the ministers also met in the format of the Board of the European Defence Agency, chaired by Kaja Kallas. The main meeting is dedicated to air defence, EUMAM Ukraine, industrial cooperation and combating Russia’s “shadow fleet” — procurement is thus being viewed as part of a broader effort to strengthen European defence capabilities.
The EU is seeking to link national defence spending with a joint European system for the procurement and production of weapons.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
The defence ministers of the EU member states are discussing the further development of European defence procurement in Brussels. In the official agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council, the issue of public procurement in defence has been included in the ongoing defence agenda, alongside Ukraine, hybrid threats and the situation in the Middle East.
Before the Council meeting, the ministers also met in the format of the Board of the European Defence Agency, chaired by Kaja Kallas. The main meeting is dedicated to air defence, EUMAM Ukraine, industrial cooperation and combating Russia’s “shadow fleet” — procurement is thus being viewed as part of a broader effort to strengthen European defence capabilities.
The EU is seeking to link national defence spending with a joint European system for the procurement and production of weapons.
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In the United States, a prisoner will be released after 41 years due to a DNA mismatch, CBS News reports. The man was sentenced to death in 1985 for murder, despite the absence of physical evidence.
At the time, a jury handed down the sentence based on his confession and the testimony of two witnesses. Both witnesses later recanted their testimony. In 2025, the prisoner stated that he had been forced under threats to confess to a murder he did not commit.
Our channel: Node of Time EN
At the time, a jury handed down the sentence based on his confession and the testimony of two witnesses. Both witnesses later recanted their testimony. In 2025, the prisoner stated that he had been forced under threats to confess to a murder he did not commit.
Our channel: Node of Time EN
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🇨🇳🇺🇸 China establishes a new formula for relations with the United States
On September 28, China’s Foreign Ministry officially issued a political assessment of Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States. Beijing stated that the heads of state had agreed to build “constructive relations of strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity.” The Chinese side also confirmed mutual support in hosting the APEC and G20 summits.
This formula is now being translated into concrete mechanisms for cooperation. China confirmed its readiness to support intergovernmental dialogue with the United States on artificial intelligence, and the two sides had previously announced eight practical outcomes of the summit – ranging from trade and strategic stability to military communication channels. Beijing says it intends to implement the agreements reached by Xi and Trump.
After several years of confrontation, Beijing and Washington are trying to create a system intended to make their rivalry more manageable.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
On September 28, China’s Foreign Ministry officially issued a political assessment of Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States. Beijing stated that the heads of state had agreed to build “constructive relations of strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity.” The Chinese side also confirmed mutual support in hosting the APEC and G20 summits.
This formula is now being translated into concrete mechanisms for cooperation. China confirmed its readiness to support intergovernmental dialogue with the United States on artificial intelligence, and the two sides had previously announced eight practical outcomes of the summit – ranging from trade and strategic stability to military communication channels. Beijing says it intends to implement the agreements reached by Xi and Trump.
After several years of confrontation, Beijing and Washington are trying to create a system intended to make their rivalry more manageable.
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🇷🇺🇺🇸🇨🇳 Kremlin: Talks on strategic weapons should have resumed “yesterday”
Dmitry Peskov said that Russia and the United States needed to resume arms control talks as soon as possible. According to him, the treaty-based legal framework that had previously existed practically no longer exists today; therefore, the talks should have resumed “yesterday”.
The statement came after Trump said that, during his meeting with Xi Jinping, he had raised the issue of possible trilateral talks between the United States, Russia, and China on strategic weapons. The Kremlin did not reject the idea, but Peskov warned that such talks would require lengthy technical preparations and would take a considerable amount of time.
Following the collapse of the former treaty system, Moscow and Washington are beginning to discuss a new arms control framework in which China could participate as a full-fledged party for the first time.
💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN
Dmitry Peskov said that Russia and the United States needed to resume arms control talks as soon as possible. According to him, the treaty-based legal framework that had previously existed practically no longer exists today; therefore, the talks should have resumed “yesterday”.
The statement came after Trump said that, during his meeting with Xi Jinping, he had raised the issue of possible trilateral talks between the United States, Russia, and China on strategic weapons. The Kremlin did not reject the idea, but Peskov warned that such talks would require lengthy technical preparations and would take a considerable amount of time.
Following the collapse of the former treaty system, Moscow and Washington are beginning to discuss a new arms control framework in which China could participate as a full-fledged party for the first time.
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