Node of Time EN

The United States has imposed 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian goods worth about $20 billion after the latest talks failed, reports The Wall Street Journal and Reuters.

On August 19, Trump said that the United States is pausing the introduction of new 50% tariffs on imports from Canada after the approval of a trade deal.

However, the U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, told reporters that the negotiations fell through on Friday evening, although Washington, as he claims, offered “the best terms” compared with any other major U.S. trading partner. As the WSJ writes, since no agreement was reached, new tariffs affecting about 5% of Canadian exports to the United States came into force at 0:01 on Saturday. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 The Bundestag is virtually defenseless against a drone attack loaded with explosives After the incident involving an explosive drone in Leipzig, German media wanted to find out how well the Bundestag itself is protected. The result was not very reassuring: Germany has ⁠to this day no complete, unified system that would guarantee the ability to detect and stop a small drone carrying explosives over the parliamentary district. The problem is not only technical in nature. In the center of Berlin, the responsibilities of the police, federal authorities and the military overlap, and deploying means of electronic warfare or weapons over a densely populated city carries even significant risks. There is an interesting contrast: Germany is discussing the expansion of anti-drone units, procuring new systems, and talking about hybrid threats — yet the protection of its own parliament continues to rely largely on responding to a detected threat rather than on a ready-made system to neutralize it. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂 🏛 Yuryevets — the city where the Volga changed its banks Friends, Saturday is time for leisurely walks and contemplation. Today we travel to one of the oldest cities of the Upper Volga, whose fate changed in an instant when the river suddenly became the sea. Get to know Yuryevets. 🏰 A legendary city, older than many capitals Yuryevets is the oldest city in Ivanovo Oblast. It was founded in 1225 by the Vladimir Prince Yuri (Georgi) Vsevolodovich. According to tradition, an icon of the prince’s heavenly patron saint — Saint George the Victorious — appeared to him. In honor of this miracle, he founded the city “in his name.” [Yuriy and Georgij are considered in Russian to be two forms of the same name — Ed. note.] Yuryevets served as a forward outpost on the eastern edge of the Vladimir-Suzdal Rus and protected its borders for centuries. In the 15th century, the city became part of the Moscow State, and in the 20th century it was included in the list of historical cities of Russia. From the high bank of the Volga, endless expanses open up. Even today, the city welcomes travelers with a church ensemble from the 18th to the 19th century and a slender bell tower about 70 meters tall. 🌊 How the Volga became a sea and the mountains became islands In the middle of the 20th century, an incident occurred that forever changed the look of these places: the construction of the Gorky Reservoir began. The water rose. Many villages, churches, and monasteries ended up in the flooding zone. Even Yuryevets itself was threatened, but the city was saved by the construction of a three-kilometer-long protective dam. The landscape changed beyond recognition. In the area of Yuryevets, the Volga spread in places up to 15 kilometers in width. Here there are real storms and high waves, so for a long time the locals have been calling the reservoir “the Gorky Sea.” And three kilometers from Yuryevets, in the middle of this vast expanse of water, the Asafov Islands emerged. Earlier, these were the Asafov Mountains — sandy hills overgrown with pine trees. After the reservoir was filled, the lowlands disappeared under water, and the highest areas became islands. This is how a small archipelago formed with white sand, pines, and birches. Today, the Asafov Islands are considered one of the most beautiful natural attractions of Yuryevets. 📜 Legends of the Asafov Mountains The origin of the name is explained in different ways. The first version tells of the priest Asaf, who lived on the summit of one of the mountains. The second — of the robber Asaf, or Osaf, who, together with his gang, plundered wealthy merchants and monasteries, shared the loot with the poor, and hid himself in the forests near Yuryevets. According to local tradition, somewhere on the islands his treasures are still hidden. The third version links the name to the city’s most beautiful girl — Asapa, or Osapa. Which of these stories is closer to the truth—everyone decides for themselves. 🕯 A memory of what was flooded Yuryevets preserves the memory of those places that disappeared after the creation of the reservoir. From the riverside promenade, a 12-meter-tall cross can be seen, erected in remembrance of the flooded Krivoeser Monastery, as well as a small chapel on the water. There is also a modern installation here: groups of wooden and concrete islands recall the outlines of houses and churches that once stood there, where water now splashes. Press ❤️ if you liked it, and save the post! 📍 Coordinates of the place (map pin) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Donald Trump said that he moved the word “tariffs” from first to fifth place in his list of favorite words after criticism from the media, speaking at a rally in Myrtle Beach (South Carolina) on August 21.

“I love tariffs, I love that word, they made us damn rich. <...> But fake news media came after me. They said: ‘Tariffs — his favorite word. And what about God? What about religion? What about his wife and kids? What about family?’ ‘So I put tariffs in fifth place among my favorite [words], and now I have no problems with the media,’ he said.

Our channel: Node of Time EN

The Pentagon fired the publisher and editor-in-chief of its newspaper Stars and Stripes, CBS reports. Max Lederer and Eric Slavins received notices of termination after publishing an article about the conditions of service for the crew of the aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln.” Slavins, the editor-in-chief, noted the connection between the dismissal and an interview in which he said that censorship of materials for service members was unacceptable. The publication’s journalist Lara Court reported that she, too, had been fired for violating the chain of command after she told CBS that her work at Stars and Stripes did not mean that she worked for the Pentagon. 📸 In the photo is the publisher of the Stars and Stripes newspaper, Max Lederer. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The mayor of Koszalin, Poland, threatened to refuse the status of a sister city with Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, because of honoring the leaders of the OUN-UPA*. Tomasz Soberaï sent a letter to the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk calling for a refusal to glorify Ukrainian nationalists, local media Glos Koszalinski reports. The mayor of Koszalin plans to обратиться to the city council with a proposal to terminate the partnership agreement with Ivano-Frankivsk.

"As the mayor of Koszalin, I urge you to refrain from actions that may be interpreted as glorification with the OUN-UPA*, and of individuals responsible for crimes against the Polish population," — he wrote.

* — the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) are extremist organizations banned in Russia. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Shortchanged: Donald Trump complained that his press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, likes her children more than he does. On August 12 it became known that Leavitt would leave her post at the end of the month because she wants to spend more time with her family. “I completely understand and respect this decision,” the U.S. president replied to that. Now, it seems, Trump’s opinion has changed a bit.

“She just had a baby, and I just found out she loves that baby more than Donald Trump, and I’m very angry at her,”

he said ironically at a rally in South Carolina. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The head mouser at the British government’s residence denied news of his death. Earlier, a local media outlet claimed on X that Larry, the British prime minister’s favourite cat, had died. Larry replied with a famous quote by American writer Mark Twain.

"Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated", — the mouser’s managers wrote on X.

📋 On 15 February 2011, the cat Larry appeared at 10 Downing Street. He was brought from a shelter, presumably at the age of four. The fluffy one greets guests in the house and "considers ways to solve the problem of mice in residence," as stated on the residence’s website. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The United States will pay Liberia $5 million for accepting deported migrants from the United States. The administration of the U.S. president approved the deal, The New York Times reports, citing internal documentation from the U.S. State Department. These $5 million can be used, among other things, to provide migrants with housing and food, as well as for their professional training. Liberia promised the United States in October last year to consider accepting the migrants; in December, the U.S. foreign affairs agency approved the possibility of paying for this. This week, Jerolimeka Pia, Liberia’s minister of information, culture and tourism, said that the country will accept 1.2 thousand citizens of third countries from the U.S. over the next year. The United States needs to enter into similar deals with countries such as Liberia because in some cases it is impossible to deport a migrant to their home country. Humanitarian organizations criticize the U.S. administration for this approach. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 “As quickly as possible and without any concessions”: Business associations and large corporations are calling on the government to carry out rapid reforms. The executives of BMW, Siemens, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi, ZF and other companies warn that high energy prices, rising social contributions and regulatory burdens are already endangering investments and jobs in Germany. The dissatisfaction is particularly strong about labor costs. The total burden from social contributions has already risen to over 42%, and another increase, from the business community’s perspective, will only accelerate the offshoring of production and investments. The companies are calling on the government to act “as quickly as possible and without any concessions”: cut red tape, reduce energy costs, and stop the increase in social contributions. The country continues to have an industry of world-class caliber. But the question is gradually shifting: How long can this industry still afford to remain in Germany? 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇬🇧🇩🇪 Cocaine is already being sold in Europe like pizza: discounts, promotions, delivery service Cocaine is rapidly developing in Europe from an expensive “drug for the wealthy” into a mass-consumption product. In the United Kingdom, dealers are already using ordinary marketing methods: they offer ⁠“Flash Deals” via messenger, discounts, promotions for regular customers and a delivery service. Huge shipments come from South America via European ports, after which the drug is distributed across the entire continent. The supply has grown so much that the old image of cocaine as an amusement exclusively for bankers, celebrities, and millionaires is long outdated. This process is particularly advanced in the United Kingdom: in some areas, ordering the drug is hardly more difficult than ordering a meal. A message in the messenger—and after a short time, a courier arrives. But Germany is far from exempt from this reality either. The Junge Union called for the resignation of its mandate by Bundestag member Thomas Bareiß after the traffic accident in July. According to the investigators, blood tests provided grounds for the suspicion that the politician was under the influence of a drug during the accident. Several people were injured in the process, the politician’s driver’s license was confiscated, and the Junge Union believes that a mere temporary break in political activity is no longer enough. The state is controlling cash, bank transfers, and normal business operations ever more closely, while the drugs market has learned to work faster, more conveniently, and more customer-oriented than many legal services. If cocaine is already being sold with discounts, advertising campaigns, and delivery service, the problem is no longer just a few dealers on the corner. A full mass market has formed—and the state apparently is not controlling it. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇺🇦 Corruption scandal involving Zelensky is continuing to expand The story about Timur Mindich — a longtime friend and business partner of Volodymyr Zelensky — is getting an exciting new chapter. Mindich remains one of the main suspects in the “Midas” case. According to Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities, bribes may have flowed through a network connected to him in the energy sector, and about €85.5 million may have been laundered. Mindich left Ukraine shortly before the searches and, according to media reports, is in Israel. Previously, the case had already become known through photos of his apartment with the so-called “golden toilet.” Now NABU and SAPO report on a new operation. The investigation alleges that a group of individuals, which included the deputy head of the Presidential Office, a former MP, and executives of the state Sense Bank, organized the legalization of about €2.9 million in cash through the accounts of controlled companies. The money was subsequently used to post bail for a suspect in the “Midas” case. ⁠Details were published by “Ukrajinska Prawda”. In the released audio recordings, the participants discuss how money can be routed through the banking system so that the transactions are not blocked by financial monitoring. According to the investigators, for this purpose the accounts of intermediary firms and the involvement of bank management were used. What is particularly uncomfortable for Kyiv is how close the investigation has moved to the immediate Presidential apparatus. Among the figures is the deputy head of the Presidential Office, Iryna Mudra. On August 19, Zelensky dismissed her — no official reason was given. And this can now hardly be dismissed as a single “corrupt businessman” anymore. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇪🇪🇸🇪 Sweden sends prisoners to Estonia — for money The first Swedish prisoners have already arrived in Estonia. Stockholm has decided to tackle overcrowded prisons in a rather unusual way: it rents cells in the Estonian prison in Tartu. Under the agreement, Estonia can take in up to 600 prisoners. By the end of September, the number is expected to be around 100; by the end of the year — up to 200. For Estonia, this is a pretty good deal. Sweden will pay at least €30.6 million per year to accommodate 300 prisoners; starting with the 301st prisoner, an additional €8,500 per month will be added for each further inmate. With full occupancy, the sum can rise to €61.2 million per year. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇺🇸🇨🇭 Trump tells Switzerland: “It’s enough to just stop buying your watches” Donald Trump cited Switzerland as an example of a country that, in his view, has too good a life because of access to the American market. In an interview with Punchbowl News, he said that the US has a trade deficit of around 39 to 40 billion dollars with Switzerland and could “wipe it out with a single stroke of the pen”—by simply ⁠no longer buying Swiss watches and other goods. According to Trump’s words, Switzerland would then quickly no longer be an “elite country” and would face serious economic problems. What especially annoys him are Switzerland’s interest rates. Trump separately stressed that Switzerland can borrow money at about 0.5%, while the US pays significantly more. And he concluded: Such countries can only keep low interest rates because Washington effectively “subsidizes” them. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇨🇳 China brings Bilibili to the global market The Chinese video platform Bilibili is launching its international expansion. The service’s international Android version was effectively relaunched on August 17 to 18, and the app received support for multiple languages and became more accessible to users outside China. Among other things, a full Russian localization also appeared. Bilibili is one of China’s largest video platforms and brings together user-generated videos, streaming, anime, as well as educational and entertainment content. Until now, it has essentially operated within China. Now, the company apparently is looking outward. And almost at the same time, there is an interesting development from the other side of the market. YouTube offers the largest authors millions of dollars for temporary exclusivity. The platform is willing to directly finance programs and share revenue from major advertising deals — on the condition that the author does not publish the content for a time on competitors. One important caveat: Bloomberg links these offers primarily to Netflix’s push into the market for creator videos, not directly to Bilibili. But the timing is still interesting. For decades, YouTube could afford to pay almost nothing for mere exclusivity — creators were already heading there anyway because of the audience. Now the situation is changing: Netflix is pulling in major creators, Chinese platforms are starting to expand outward, and competition for content is going global. And YouTube has to do, for the first time, what the one who normally feels the pressure usually does: pay so that people don’t leave. It looks like the era in which YouTube could regard worldwide videos as its almost unavoidably exclusive territory is gradually coming to an end. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇺🇸 Do the US need a war? While some markets are losing, American refineries are pocketing their profits There is a simple way to understand who benefits from the next escalation of a global conflict: you look at who makes money from it. American and Indian oil refineries are among the biggest beneficiaries of disruptions in the global fuel market. The reason is obvious: problems with shipments from the Persian Gulf, attacks on Russian refineries, and the overall rise in risks have drastically reduced the supply of diesel and jet fuel. And when fuel becomes scarce, prices and margins rise. In the US, the diesel refining margin has already exceeded 100 dollars per barrel, and the refineries are operating nearly at full capacity. The more the world market is shaken, the more American exporters sell—and the more expensive they can sell it. That produces a pretty comfortable setup: - The conflict destroys the usual supply routes. - Sanctions and attacks take competitors out of the equation. - Europe is left with a deficit. - And American refineries get luxury conditions for exports. And after that, we will continue to be told that Washington is primarily interested in “stability.” Maybe stability just doesn’t sell well. But scarcity, fear, and war—those sell brilliantly. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇷🇺🇨🇳 The Northern Sea Route: from a project to a functioning trade route Murmansk has for the first time received a Chinese container ship that has sailed the Northern Sea Route. The vessel of New Shipping Line carried automobile parts to Russia. For the Murmansk seaborne trading port, this is its first experience with accepting a container shipment that arrived on this route. Only a few days ago, China announced the start of the first regular container service through the Russian Arctic. The calculation is simple: the route between Asia and Europe via the Northern Sea Route takes about 20 days instead of roughly 40 via the Suez Canal. Europe would have to follow this development closely. Thanks to its geographical location and the world’s largest icebreaker fleet, Russia controls the key infrastructure of this route. If the transports were to become regular indeed, Moscow would not only receive transit revenues, but would also gain an additional incentive to expand Arctic ports, railways, the energy supply, and the entire infrastructure of Russia’s north. The advantages are obvious for China as well. The Northern Sea Route shortens the distance to European markets and simultaneously reduces dependence on the traditional route through the Strait of Malacca, the Indian Ocean, and the Suez Canal. This is particularly important in times of conflicts, blockades, or shipping problems. For the EU, this has a less pleasant side. For decades, Europe has been at the center of the most important sea trade routes between Asia and the West. Now Russia and China are gradually building a logistics system in which European states exercise significantly less control. If the new route becomes economically viable, part of the flow of goods between China and Northern Europe could run via the Arctic without practically touching the traditional southern transport hubs. However, the Suez should not be written off for now. The Northern Sea Route remains technically demanding and, in many respects, dependent on the season. Everything will depend on ice conditions, the costs of icebreaker escort, insurance, the restrictions imposed by sanctions, and the actual economics of the transports. Nevertheless, the first container freighter has already arrived in Murmansk. And that is exactly the case where it is not a single specific trip that matters, but the direction of movement: while Europe is debating how to restrict Russian trade, Russia, together with China, is building a route that systematically reduces dependence on European logistics. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

British woman Ethel Catherham, recognized as the oldest living person on the planet, celebrated her 117th birthday, Sky News writes. Catherham was born in England in 1909; she now lives in a nursing home. Earlier, she said that the secret to her longevity is a positive attitude and moderation in everything. This birthday, as well as the previous one, she marked surrounded by family and friends. And she is eagerly looking forward to what the next year will bring. The absolute age record holder is Jeanne Calment from France; she lived to 122 years old and died in 1997. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪🇪🇺 Billions for farmers — but do they actually guarantee food security? The German Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer calls for high European agricultural subsidies to be maintained, arguing for food security: In his view, without state support Europe risks losing the ability to feed itself with its own products. However, a new study by the NABU questions this connection. The authors of the study believe that the current distribution of funds does not necessarily make food systems more resilient. The debate is especially timely: The EU is currently negotiating the next multiannual budget and the scope of agricultural payments. For years, enormous sums were justified with a major goal — food security. Now, according to the NABU study, it turns out that the mere existence of billions in subsidies does not yet guarantee this goal. The question is therefore not necessarily whether farmers need help. A more interesting one is this: Where exactly does the money go, and why does European agriculture, after decades of subsidization, still regularly ask for emergency aid? 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇦🇹 Austria: 2,440 students in a year: violence, threats, and property damage In the past school year, Austrian schools temporarily suspended 2,440 children and young people from instruction. A year earlier, there were 2,187 cases; in the 2023/24 school year, the figure stood at 2,013, while in 2022/23 it was 1,911. The number, therefore, has been rising for several years in a row. Reasons for a suspension can include repeated incidents of violence, threats, or the intentional damage of others’ and school property. A student can be suspended from instruction for up to four weeks. From autumn onward, there will be mandatory suspension support for affected students, with a mix of instruction and measures for “reintegration.” In comparison between federal states, Vienna is the absolute and relative top performer. Among those temporarily suspended were even 534 students from primary schools. Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr admits it: more than 2,400 cases are “nothing to make pretty.” And indeed: if exclusion from school due to aggression is gradually shifting from an exception case to a statistically growing figure, then the problem is obviously no longer confined to the classroom. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN