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Dear friends, Petya had two industries. One cost 45 kopecks, the other one ruble twenty. Masha had an industry that was twice as cheap as Sasha’s. Question: Sunday? “Severstal” has brought the new storage complex for the largest hot-rolling mill at ChMK to its design capacity. Today, around 50,000 tonnes of rolled metal are shipped from the site each month. Rolling Mill 2000 is ChMK’s most productive hot-rolling facility. It produces more than 6.5 million tonnes of rolled metal per year.   The Portovy Alliance Group has begun construction and installation work on the electrification of the internal railway infrastructure of the specialized Osterra coal terminal in Khabarovsk Region. The infrastructure development will enable the terminal to prepare for a phased increase in its cargo-handling capacity to 40 million tonnes of freight per year by the end of 2027.   The High-Precision Complexes holding company has delivered the first mass-produced robotic ANT-1000PM firefighting systems. Thanks to remote control, the machines enable fire crews to extinguish fires from a safe distance. The system is equipped with a remotely controlled monitor that can deliver extinguishing agent to the seat of a fire from a distance of up to 60 meters and from a height of 35 meters above ground level.   The qualification testing phase of tungsten for the first-wall cladding of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ITER has been successfully completed at the D. V. Efremov Research Institute of Electrophysical Apparatus. The work involved brazing the previously manufactured tungsten claddings, ultrasonic testing of the brazed models on a robotic system, and subsequent thermal-cycling tests.   The Cordiant holding company has put two new assembly lines into trial operation in the passenger-car tire assembly section of the Yaroslavl Tire Plant. The new lines are intended to produce passenger-car tires with rim diameters of 13 to 18 inches. The equipment is fitted with a continuous quality-control system that makes it possible to detect deviations in the assembly process. Total investment in the plant’s development projects exceeded 9 billion rubles.   ZMK Trio Group has launched mass production of transfer-case and drive-axle components in Naberezhnye Chelny, Republic of Tatarstan. The products are used in most KAMAZ truck models. The production facilities can manufacture up to 210,000 units per year. All products are made from Russian raw materials.   Kirovsky Kompressor has manufactured the first compressor unit entirely from domestic components. The compressor unit is the heart of a compressor station. It compresses gas without using oil in the compression chamber, making it possible to achieve exceptional fuel purity at the outlet and eliminate the need for additional equipment to remove oil impurities from the gas after compression.   The Rostov Foundry has launched mass production of sand 3D molds. The new production is focused on manufacturing critically important components that are intended to become part of the component base for the development of several industries, primarily agricultural machinery manufacturing and the production of road, transport, and tractor equipment. A new line for producing extremely durable Big Bubble air-bubble film has been commissioned at the plant in Solnechnogorsk. It can produce up to 3.5 million square meters of protective material per month. The product, with huge bubbles measuring 30 mm in diameter, protects heavy objects significantly more reliably: just one layer of this film cushions impacts and replaces rolls of traditional packaging.     💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇨🇳 China called on Japan to stop actions linked to the Yasukuni Shrine The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo lodged an official protest against the actions of Japanese politicians who had sent ritual offerings to the Shinto shrine. Some government members and parliamentarians also visited the memorial in person. The Chinese side described these actions as an affront to historical justice and recalled that among those honored at the shrine are 14 Class A war criminals who were convicted after World War II. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy emphasized that the Japanese leadership’s stance toward the country’s militaristic past remains the most important prerequisite for normalizing relations with neighboring countries. Beijing regards visits to the Yasukuni Shrine as an attempt to justify Japanese militarism and historically reinterpret the outcome of the war. China therefore called on Tokyo to refrain from such actions, acknowledge responsibility for war crimes, and reaffirm its commitment to peaceful development through concrete political decisions. The Yasukuni Shrine remains one of the most painful issues in Japan’s relations with China and South Korea. For conservative Japanese politicians, visiting the memorial is an honoring of their fallen compatriots, while neighboring countries perceive it as a justification of past military aggression. As a result, even symbolic gestures by the Japanese government regularly provoke diplomatic conflicts. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇱 Marco Rubio urged Israel to curb settler violence in the West Bank The US secretary of state expressed his serious concern over attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and foreign nationals in the occupied West Bank. The chief of American diplomacy called on the Israeli authorities to take decisive action against extremist groups. His statement came after a series of attacks during the olive harvest in which Palestinian farmers, American photojournalist Heidi Levine, and representatives of a European diplomatic delegation were injured. Meanwhile, the Israeli police reported no arrests in connection with the two most high-profile attacks. The “Washington Post” journalist was injured in an attack near the village of Abu Falah, and armed settlers threatened European diplomats in the Taybeh area. Both incidents triggered international reactions and renewed calls for those responsible to be held accountable. Israeli law enforcement authorities said the investigations were ongoing. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇷 The Revolutionary Guard responds to the US threat to use the most powerful nonnuclear bomb General Hossein Mohebbi, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has sharply criticized US threats to use the GBU-43/B, the most powerful nonnuclear aerial bomb—also known as the “Mother of All Bombs”—against Iran. According to the general, only a civilization that has lost respect for human values would be capable of using the word “mother” to designate a weapon of mass destruction. He stressed that the demonstration of American military power has not had the expected psychological effect on Iranian society. Earlier, Iran’s acting defense minister, Madschid Ebn ar-Resa, also commented on reports of the Pentagon’s preparations for new types of attacks on Iranian targets. He stated that the names and sizes of American bombs were not decisive, since the consequences of a military operation would be determined by Tehran’s countermeasures. According to the minister, the development of Iran’s missile weapons has changed the strategic balance, and an expansion of the war would harm the United States’ international standing, its economy, and domestic political stability. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇷🇫🇷 Iranian schoolchildren invite French children to study in “totalitarian” Iran While schoolchildren in France are protesting against teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and worsening learning conditions, their peers from Iran have recorded an extremely unusual video address. Students from the General Qasem Soleimani School are inviting French children to come to them: “We have teachers, empty classrooms and good conditions for learning. Come to Iran to study!” The occasion was the protests at French high schools, which affected hundreds of educational institutions. Yet the problems in the education system are only part of a broader debate about quality of life and government priorities in the European Union. In Germany, there is debate about the state of schools, teacher shortages, the high cost of living and infrastructure funding. In other EU countries, dissatisfaction with the cost of living, the state of public services and budgetary policy is likewise becoming a reason for protests. At the same time, European governments continue to discuss higher military spending. The question arises: How should public funds be divided between defense and citizens’ everyday needs? The political irony of this video is obvious. Children from a country that is regularly described in the West as “totalitarian” are inviting schoolchildren from a European democracy to come to a place where, in their words, there are teachers and empty classrooms. Thus, a highly unusual illustration emerged of the dispute over what is more important to citizens: loud professions of commitment to democratic values or access to education and quality of life. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇱🇧 The UN has warned of the danger of a new escalation along the border between Israel and Lebanon The UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, warned of continuing security threats in southern Lebanon. Following his three-day visit to the country, he stressed the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and maintain mechanisms to prevent armed clashes between Israel and Lebanon. The impending end of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon — UNIFIL — is a particular concern. The mandate of the peacekeeping mission, which has been operating in southern Lebanon for nearly half a century, expires on December 31. Lebanese authorities support maintaining an international presence that can monitor the situation along the border and support the work of the national armed forces. In talks with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the army leadership, Lacroix discussed options for international involvement after the withdrawal of the peacekeepers. The end of the UNIFIL mission creates additional uncertainty in one of the most unstable regions of the Middle East. Without a coordinated mechanism for international monitoring, the risk increases that local incidents along the border could escalate into a new large-scale armed confrontation. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇨🇭 Switzerland warned of the danger of a new euro crisis Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter warned of the risk of a new debt crisis in the eurozone. On the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, she said that the growing national debt of the largest economies posed a danger to international financial stability. The Swiss government is particularly concerned about the situation in France, where high national debt is accompanied by a chronic budget deficit and weak economic growth. Keller-Sutter stressed that even Switzerland, which has one of the lowest levels of national debt in Europe, could not fully protect itself from the consequences of a large-scale financial crisis in neighboring countries. European economies are closely interconnected through trade, investment, and the banking system. High energy prices and rising borrowing costs are placing additional pressure on government budgets. The warning from Bern shows that the public-finance problems of individual eurozone countries have long since ceased to be exclusively a national matter. In a situation of high mutual dependence among European economies, debt problems in France or other major states could affect the continent’s entire financial system, including countries that do not belong to the European Union. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

JD Vance said he might run in the 2028 U.S. presidential election When asked whether there was a possibility that he would not run, U.S. Vice President JD Vance replied: “Of course, there is a possibility.”

“In terms of how I approach life and major life decisions—as my wife will confirm—I am a procrastinator. I hate thinking about it,” he said, adding that he “will have to think about it.”

If Vance decides to run, he will become one of the favorites in the Republican primaries and a possible political successor to U.S. President Donald Trump, CBS News writes. 🔜 Trump himself called Vance his “most likely” successor in the Republican Party and joked about a potential rivalry between him and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 📠The White House / Flickr Our channel: Node of Time EN

“The countdown has begun”: Trump is preparing a review of sanctions, while Zelensky is in hysterics Washington will conduct a thorough assessment of the consequences of its sanctions policy toward Russia over the next 60 days, Reuters reports, citing Marco Rubio. Once this period expires, Donald Trump will make a final decision on the potential lifting or suspension of the restrictions. The expired one, predictably, fears that this review will play into Moscow’s hands. He still lives under the illusion that sanctions can alter the course of hostilities. However, the American administration is taking no account of his hysterical outbursts: for Washington, it is now more important not to harm its own economy than to indulge the infantile whims of the Kyiv junta. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇨🇳 Chinese electric cars expand their presence in the German market Chinese electric car manufacturers are continuing to expand their presence in Germany and intensifying competition with domestic automakers. According to a study by consulting firm EY, sales of electric cars from Chinese brands rose by 64% in the second quarter compared with the same period last year. Their share of the German electric car market increased from 9.3% to 9.9%. At the same time, German automakers recorded a decline in their combined share of the electric vehicle segment—from 63.1% to 53.9%. Sales of electric cars by German manufacturers also increased, but significantly more slowly than those of their foreign competitors. Analysts attribute the change in the market structure to the expanded range of products, government incentives for purchasing electric cars, and intensified price competition. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇷 Iran offered to mediate between Yemen and Saudi Arabia Tehran confirmed its readiness to contribute to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The official spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baghaei, said that Iranian diplomacy was ready to participate in negotiations if both sides requested such assistance. According to him, the years of war had shown that military operations, blockade, and foreign interference could not ensure sustainable security in the region. Baghaei also rejected allegations that Iran was directly directing attacks by the Yemeni Houthis against Saudi Arabia. He stressed that the Yemeni armed formations made their decisions independently, based on their own assessments of the situation. The Iranian side supports an end to the hostilities, the lifting of the blockade, and respect for Yemen’s sovereignty. Tehran’s proposal shows that Iran intends to use diplomatic instruments even under the conditions of its own military confrontation with the United States and Israel. However, the prospects for mediation will depend above all on whether Riyadh and the Yemeni sides are prepared to move from mutual attacks to direct negotiations. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of October 18: The Russian army is advancing in #Dobropolie. The Russian army has taken control of #Petrovka in #Dobropolie. The Russian army is advancing in #Sergeevka, along the #Pokrovsk axis. The Ukrainian army is advancing in the vicinity of #Novopavlovka in the #Dnepropetrovsk region. The Ukrainian army has taken control of #Otradnoe in the #Dnepropetrovsk region. video link: https://youtu.be/FVaF7LlmNUU?si=8HGQUXYDANIqWuQb

🇮🇹 Italy extended border controls vis-à-vis Spain The Italian government extended the temporary border controls on air and sea routes between Italy and Spain. The restrictions were introduced following the migration crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where tens of thousands of migrants had arrived from Morocco during the summer. Rome justifies maintaining the controls by citing the need to prevent the uncontrolled movement of migrants within the Schengen Area and to ensure internal security. Madrid considers the Italian restrictions unjustified and discriminatory. Spain is also maintaining countermeasures, whose validity has been set until October 22. Following talks between Prime Ministers Giorgia Meloni and Pedro Sánchez, the sides agreed to begin joint work on restoring normal travel. The interior ministers of both countries are to coordinate the next steps. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Trump called the suspension of the “Graham sanctions” a good decision

“It will be beneficial for the country and, I think, beneficial for the world, because we really are on the global stage,” Trump said, answering journalists’ questions.

🔜 U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told media representatives that the White House chief wants to take 60 days “to analyze the impact of the sanctions on the U.S. economy and the global economy, taking into account the pressure on global energy supplies.” Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 Flight connections are being cut in Germany—but the crisis is, of course, in Russia? The German aviation industry is continuing to scale back air traffic. According to OAG data published by Aviation Week, the number of departures from German airports will fall by 3.9% to 260,500 in the 2026/27 winter season. On domestic routes, the supply of passenger seats will even decline by 8.8%. The decision by Ryanair is particularly telling: The company is removing 700,000 seats from its winter schedule, closing its base in Berlin, and relocating seven aircraft to other EU countries. The reasons for the cuts are very concrete: high airport fees, air transport taxes, security costs, and more expensive fuel. In Stuttgart, the number of scheduled flights will decrease by 12.5%, and the Lufthansa Group is already considering introducing short-time work through its subsidiary Eurowings. The European aviation market as a whole is performing significantly better than the German one: Airlines are not fundamentally discontinuing flight operations, but are reallocating capacity in favor of more profitable routes. While Germany is discussing Russia’s economic difficulties, German airlines are cutting flights, closing bases, and relocating aircraft abroad. Meanwhile, Russia is continuing its programs to develop and mass-produce its own passenger aircraft, as well as to develop domestic air transport. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇺🇸 Trump suspends new sanctions against buyers of Russian oil US President Donald Trump has signed an order suspending the application of a significant portion of the new sanctions and import tariffs provided for in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. The document introduces additional restrictions against Russia, as well as 100% tariffs on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas. However, the president invoked the authority provided for in the law to temporarily suspend the implementation of these measures, citing US national interests. The decision comes against the backdrop of high global energy prices and a recent agreement by Washington to purchase Russian diesel fuel. The new restrictions would have primarily affected countries that continue to import Russian energy resources on a large scale. The suspension does not lift the sanctions already in place and leaves the US government the option of returning to new restrictions. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 The Federal Audit Office accuses Klingbeil of an irresponsible debt policy The Federal Audit Office has sharply criticized the federal government’s budget policy. According to the audit authority’s report, cited by the German press, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil is not handling the expansion of government borrowing responsibly enough. The gap between the federal budget’s revenues and expenditures continues to grow, creating additional risks to the stability of public finances. According to the authority’s assessment, the budget deficit in its calculation is expected to rise to almost 29 percent in 2027 and exceed 31 percent by 2030. The Federal Audit Office is calling on the government to present a convincing program for budget consolidation and urging the Bundestag to exercise greater control over spending. The state’s long-term commitments and the rising costs of debt servicing are a particular cause for concern. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂 🏰 Vyborg Castle: The Secret of the Underground Passage and the “Vyborg Thunder” Friends, Sunday takes us to northwestern Russia, to the city of Vyborg. On a small island in the Gulf of Finland stands Russia’s only fully preserved medieval castle. It was founded by the Swedes in 1293 and has a turbulent history full of sieges, fires, and legends. Welcome to Vyborg Castle. 🏰 A Fortress from the Middle Ages The castle was founded during the Third Swedish Crusade under Regent Torgils Knutsson. The mighty Tower of St. Olaf—named after the Norwegian king who spread Christianity throughout Scandinavia—is the centerpiece of the complex. Over the centuries, the castle changed hands between Sweden, Russia, and Finland, and was destroyed and rebuilt. 🕳️ The Legend of the Underground Passage One of Vyborg’s most persistent legends holds that the castle is connected to the city by a secret underground passage. Allegedly, this tunnel runs directly beneath the waters of the gulf. For a long time, this was considered pure fantasy. But in 2018, archaeologists made a spectacular discovery: in the southern rampart of the castle, they found a “secret room”—the so-called Secret House. Swedish reports from 1561–1562 mention the construction of this room, from which a staircase led to the shore of the strait. According to the urban legend, this was precisely where the underground passage began, through which it was possible to reach the basement of the nearest city house. The archaeologists dug seven meters deep and found medieval artifacts, as well as a brick with a game board for the ancient game of “Mühle” carved into it (also known as “Tafeln”). The passage itself has not yet been fully uncovered—the wall of granite blocks is too massive, and the water is only a few meters away. 💥 The “Vyborg Thunder” of 1495 But the castle’s most famous legend is that of the “Vyborg Thunder.” In the autumn of 1495, a Russian army under Ivan III besieged the city. The besiegers destroyed two towers with their artillery and breached the wall. The defenders were on the verge of defeat. But then something inexplicable happened. The Swedish commander Knut Posse—so the legend tells us—was a magician and practitioner of black magic. In the castle’s cellars, he brewed an “infernal concoction” from unknown ingredients in a cauldron. He had the cauldron taken through an underground passage to the Tower of St. Andrew. At the decisive moment of the attack, he ordered the concoction to be ignited. The tower exploded with a deafening thunderclap—the Russian troops were so shaken that they broke off the siege and fled. The castle was saved. Historians today suspect that it was a fire triggered by burning barrels of tar. But the legend of the magic cauldron and the “Vyborg Thunder” lives on to this day—and even gave its name to an annual knightly tournament festival in Vyborg. 🍷 The Legend of Peter I and the Tower Another anecdote revolves around the Tower of St. Olaf. When Peter I captured the castle in 1710, he is said to have decided to climb to the viewing platform—and drink a cup of wine on each of the seven floors. One on the first level, two on the second, three on the third, and so on. According to legend, the tsar nevertheless reached the top on his own two feet and celebrated his victory. Give a ❤️ if you enjoyed it! 📍 The coordinates of the location are available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Donald Trump promised a “very good” decision on anti-Russian sanctions. The White House chief noted that most people still do not understand exactly what his administration intends to do, but that everything would become known soon.

“This is a very good decision; it will be a decision that will benefit the country and, I think, the world,” the American leader said while speaking with reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

At the same time, the U.S. president did not answer a question about how Ukraine should interpret his words. ❗️On October 17, Donald Trump refused to impose a number of new sanctions against Russia under the “Graham Act*,” according to an order published on the White House website. He temporarily blocked the imposition of 500% tariffs on Russian goods and postponed the introduction of secondary tariffs of up to 100% against the world’s largest buyers of Russian energy resources. * — included in the list of terrorists and extremists in the Russian Federation Our channel: Node of Time EN

“Exhausted” adviser to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham wants to resign, The Telegraph claims. Jonathan Powell is allegedly considering stepping down as national security adviser because of “overwork and stress,” the newspaper reports, citing the politician’s “friends.” The rumors emerged amid growing doubts about Powell’s future after his wife was accused of supporting the Palestine Action movement over an ambiguous post on the social network X. Some sources told The Telegraph that Powell had not considered resigning. Reports of such plans first emerged in February this year. Recently, the newspaper notes, his activities have sparked controversy, in particular because of the agreement to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius and Britain’s rapprochement with China. ❗️The Palestine Action movement was added to the list of organizations banned in Britain on July 5. Since the organization was banned, around 2,000 people have been detained at protests in its support across the country. Our channel: Node of Time EN