Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov used his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UGNA) on Saturday to deliver one of Moscow’s starkest warnings yet to the West, accusing NATO and the European Union of waging a «real war» against Russia.

Lavrov opened with sweeping historical references to World War II, positioning Russia as the heir to the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazism and defending global sovereignty. He accused the U.S. of dismantling those postwar principles through interventions in Yugoslavia, Iraq and Libya, and warned that the same was happening today in the Middle East. 

While condemning Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Lavrov said Israel’s campaign in Gaza amounted to «collective punishment» of civilians, linking the conflict to what he portrayed as decades of unchecked Western use of force.

Lavrov accused NATO of ignoring decades of security commitments. He insisted Russia has «never had and does not have» plans to attack NATO countries, calling Western warnings of a Russian offensive «provocations.» 

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He singled out claims by European leaders as «false portrayals» of Moscow’s intentions, echoing President Vladimir Putin’s denials that Russia plans to strike NATO or EU territory. At the same time, Lavrov issued a direct threat: «Any aggression against my country will be met with a decisive response. There should be no doubt about this among those in NATO and the EU.»

The warning comes amid heightened tension along NATO’s eastern flank. Estonia recently accused Russian jets of violating its airspace, and NATO forces shot down drones over Poland. The U.S. responded by telling the U.N. Security Council it would «defend every inch of NATO territory.» Against this backdrop, Lavrov’s speech underscored Moscow’s effort to frame any clash with NATO as an existential threat to Russia itself.

The timing also intersects with a shift in U.S. rhetoric. President Donald Trump, who met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this week, has hardened his tone on the war – telling reporters that Ukraine can and should reclaim all its territory.

President Trump has also embraced firmer rhetoric on the war. ( Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

That marks a departure from earlier signals of openness to negotiation, more than a month after U.S. and Russian officials held rare talks in Alaska. Lavrov’s UN address seemed calibrated to counter Trump’s new line, reminding Washington that Moscow sees the war not as a distant conflict but as a direct confrontation involving the United States.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, in his own address to the General Assembly, warned that failing to stop Russia now would unleash «the most destructive arms race ever.»

Lavrov reinforced his message at a press conference after the speech, responding to a question about Western calls to shoot down Russian aircraft that might violate European airspace. He dismissed Trump’s earlier remark that Russia was a «paper tiger,» noting that the president had already walked it back. 

He then issued a stark warning: «If there are attempts to down any flying object … over our territory, in our airspace, then I think people will very much regret it, undertaking such an egregious violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty.»

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a warning of his own before the General Assembly: failure to stop Russia now will lead to «the most destructive arms race ever.» (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Lavrov also took aim at U.S. sanctions on Iran, blasting Western efforts to restore or tighten restrictions as «illegal» and evidence of what he described as Washington’s strategy of «blackmail and pressure.» 

He said the West had sabotaged diplomatic options to revive the 2015 nuclear deal and rejected what he called manipulations at the U.N. Security Council to isolate Tehran.

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Beyond Europe, Lavrov portrayed Russia as aligned with a rising «global majority» against Western dominance, pointing to BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and African and Latin American calls for greater representation at the U.N. Security Council. 

He accused Washington of using sanctions and military blocs to preserve hegemony, while claiming Russia was defending sovereignty for nations across the Global South.

New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli called out his opponent, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., during a town hall Saturday, branding her out of step with the Garden State on immigration, policing, taxes and ethics.

«She wants you to believe she’s a Jersey girl. She’s not. She wants you to believe she’s a centrist. She’s not,» Ciattarelli told voters.

The remarks preview Ciattarelli’s closing argument in a tight race for the state’s top post, as he seeks to define Sherrill by tying her to national Democrats and controversies over immigration enforcement, policing and left-wing allies. Both campaigns have been asked for comment.

Ciattarelli charged that Sherrill «supported Joe Biden’s open border policies» and «voted no on the Laken Riley Act.» Sherrill missed the Riley Act vote earlier this year but later said she would have voted no, arguing the measure was overly broad.

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Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli speaks during a town hall in Manchester Township, N.J., Saturday, as supporters look on. (Fox News)

He also accused her of backing policies on transgender athletes, saying «this mother of two daughters voted yes twice to allow biological boys to play in girls’ sports.» Sherrill in fact voted against GOP bills in 2023 and 2025 that would have banned transgender students from competing based on gender identity.

On immigration enforcement and policing, Ciattarelli said Sherrill «supports sanctuary cities» and «voted anti-police… looking to get rid of qualified immunity.» Sherrill has spoken favorably of New Jersey’s 2018 «Immigrant Trust Directive» and supported the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which sought to curtail qualified immunity and policy police unions opposed.

He also attacked the congresswoman’s opposition to the GOP’s 2025 «One Big Beautiful Bill Act,» which raised the SALT deduction cap to $40,000, expanded child credits and eliminated federal taxes on overtime and tips. Sherrill and all House Democrats voted no on the package.

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Democrat Mikie Sherrill responds to questions during the first general election gubernatorial debate with Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli, Sept. 21, in Lawrenceville, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Ethics featured prominently in Ciattarelli’s critique. He reminded voters Sherrill paid a fine under the STOCK Act after disclosing stock trades late and noted her household traded shares in defense companies while she sat on the House Armed Services Committee, though she divested individual holdings in 2019. 

He also covered recent reports that Sherrill was disciplined in the 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal for failing to report classmates, which barred her from walking at graduation even though she was commissioned.

Beyond the policy contrasts, Ciattarelli sought to cast Sherrill as aligned with the left. 

Reporting shows she welcomed support from Zohran Mamdani, the socialist nominee for New York City mayor, saying she shared his voters’ goal of «throwing out the old playbook.» Republicans labeled the embrace «disqualifying» and warned New Jerseyans could not afford such politics.

He also pointed to her remarks after the House voted to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his assassination. Sherrill said Kirk had «advocated for a Christian nationalist government and to roll back the rights of women and Black people,» while adding that the Constitution protects free speech «even for those I vehemently oppose.» Sherrill voted for the resolution.

Jack Ciattarelli, Republican candidate for governor of New Jersey, has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. (Mark Kauzlarich/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Throughout his remarks, Ciattarelli framed Sherrill as left-wing despite her record of caucusing with moderates. Sherrill once belonged to the centrist Blue Dog Coalition and is now a member of the New Democrat Coalition. 

Ciattarelli, by contrast, leaned into his local roots, calling himself the «Jersey guy» and stressing that his family has lived and run businesses in the state for a century. «How about we elect the Jersey guy? Ciattarellis have been here for a hundred years… always will be,» he said.

Sherrill, a Navy helicopter pilot and Virginia native, was first elected in 2018 and has lived in Montclair with her family since 2010.

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Ciattarelli, a CPA and former assemblyman, was the GOP nominee for governor in 2021. Polls suggest their 2025 rematch is close.

Ciattarelli’s attacks showcase his strategy of portraying Sherrill as tied to national Democrats and ethically compromised while presenting himself as a homegrown alternative. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to both campaigns for comment on Ciattarelli’s remarks and Sherrill’s past statements.

Cuando una persona se aproxima al borde entre la vida y la muerte, el cuerpo experimenta una serie de cambios complejos. El corazón detiene su actividad normal, la sangre deja de circular de forma habitual y el cerebro se enfrenta a condiciones extremas. Estas circunstancias, lejos de significar un simple apagón, desencadenan un fenómeno conocido como experiencias cercanas a la muerte (ECM), donde la mente produce imágenes intensas, emociones profundas y una sensación de trascendencia que fascina tanto a científicos como a quienes atravesaron estos episodios.

De acuerdo con información publicada en Muy Interesante, un equipo liderado por la neurocientífica Charlotte Martial en la Universidad de Lieja propuso un modelo integral para explicar lo que sucede en el cerebro durante estos momentos.

El artículo, basado en un estudio difundido por Nature Reviews Neurology, señala que los investigadores consolidaron décadas de trabajos en neurobiología, psicología y farmacología para construir el modelo llamado NEPTUNE. Según los científicos, este modelo permite comprender de manera más coherente los mecanismos que se activan cuando el organismo entra en estado crítico, como después de un paro cardiaco.

Según los hallazgos, cuando el flujo sanguíneo disminuye y el oxígeno escasea, el cerebro inicia una fase de hiperactividad muy intensa, aunque breve. Esta situación genera un desequilibrio metabólico que provoca una liberación masiva de neurotransmisores.

Según los autores, sustancias como serotonina, dopamina, glutamato, noradrenalina, GABA, acetilcolina y endorfinas inundan el cerebro. Al mismo tiempo activan circuitos que producen una amplia variedad de sensaciones. Este proceso, de acuerdo con la investigación, resulta fundamental para entender por qué personas en estado crítico describen visiones de túneles de luz, encuentros con seres fallecidos o una sensación de absoluta paz y claridad.

Según el estudio, la serotonina aumenta en situaciones de hipoxia severa y, al interactuar con determinados receptores, puede provocar visiones comparables a las asociadas a algunas sustancias psicodélicas, como la psilocibina y el DMT. Esta relación permitiría explicar manifestaciones como los famosos túneles de luz, las percepciones de paisajes extraordinarios o los encuentros con entidades. Según el grupo dirigido por Martial, esta activación biomolecular se integra en una reacción organizada que depende de diversos factores personales y fisiológicos.

Además, de acuerdo con la información de la publicación, las endorfinas y el GABA contribuyen a generar sensaciones de calma, reducen el dolor y minimizan el miedo. Por otra parte, la dopamina intensifica el sentido emocional del episodio. Asimismo aportan una percepción de realidad innegable a lo que se experimenta. Otros neurotransmisores, como la acetilcolina y la noradrenalina, intervienen en la formación de recuerdos. Esta circunstancia permite a quienes pasaron por una ECM recordar cada escena con un nivel de detalle inusual, incluso si permanecieron clínicamente inconscientes durante el evento.

El modelo NEPTUNE, propuesto por Charlotte Martial y su equipo, sostiene que esta respuesta cerebral no surge de manera aleatoria. Según los investigadores, podría tratarse de una estrategia evolutiva de supervivencia, similar a la tanatosis observada en el reino animal.

En situaciones extremas, cuando ni la huida ni la lucha resultan viables, el cerebro activa un estado disociativo. Este mecanismo desconecta al individuo del sufrimiento físico y la percepción del entorno, pero mantiene cierta conciencia interna. De acuerdo con el artículo de Muy Interesante, esta reacción cerebral permitiría al ser humano soportar condiciones límite y, en algunos casos, sobrevivir si la situación médica se revierte.

El modelo también sugiere que no todas las ECM son positivas. Aunque la mayoría de testimonios recogen experiencias de paz y amor, existen episodios marcados por angustia, miedo e imágenes oscuras. Según la publicación, el estado emocional anterior, las creencias personales y las condiciones fisiológicas de cada paciente influyen en la calidad de la experiencia. Los científicos reconocen que todavía resulta necesario redactar estudios más profundos sobre los casos negativos.

En opinión del equipo de la Universidad de Lieja, el enfoque científico no pretende descartar los relatos subjetivos, sino analizarlos desde la perspectiva biológica. La investigación no plantea una división entre cuerpo y alma, ni propone la existencia de un más allá físico. Por el contrario, intenta demostrar cómo el cerebro humano, ante el colapso, fabrica experiencias trascendentes, organizadas y sensoriales que muchos describen como más reales que la propia vida.

El interés por comprender las ECM no solo abarca el campo científico, sino que también influye en el debate sobre el límite entre la vida y la muerte. De acuerdo con la información analizada, el modelo NEPTUNE proporciona una base coherente para explorar la conciencia humana en estados extremos y plantea nuevos interrogantes sobre la