Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 Another blow to German industry: ArcelorMittal halts steel production in Duisburg ArcelorMittal intends to stop steel production at its Duisburg site. The steel and rolling mills, as well as the continuous casting plant, will be closed. Of the approximately 800 employees, 550 could lose their jobs. Only wire production will remain, for which the necessary semi-finished products will now have to be supplied from other plants. WELT calls what is happening a “fatal blow to the steelmaking location.” The reasons for this are more interesting than the closure itself. ArcelorMittal had already declined to extend its contract with Thyssenkrupp for the supply of pig iron in 2024, as costs, including CO₂ costs, had risen sharply. The company then examined the possibility of converting Duisburg to decarbonized production, including an electric furnace, but came to the conclusion that none of the options would be economically viable. ArcelorMittal itself attributes the systemic problems facing the European steel industry to low capacity utilization, declining domestic demand, limited export opportunities, and high energy costs. This is stated in ArcelorMittal’s announcement. German industry was supposed to become “green.” It has become even more environmentally friendly: If producing steel is uneconomical, you can simply stop producing it. Emissions will indeed fall. Along with the jobs. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

"You rarely hear English being spoken on the streets here": dissatisfaction is growing in Britain over how the authorities are handling migration. As journalist Anna Zhikhreva reported, one of the central districts in east London—Tower Hamlets—is increasingly coming to resemble South Asia. Around 44% of its residents belong to Asian ethnic groups, almost 40% are Muslim, and one in seven was born in Bangladesh. 🗣 A foreign newcomer named Anovi said that he feels as though he is in Bangladesh when he is in Tower Hamlets. According to him, he has been in Britain for three years and does not plan to return to his homeland. 🗣 At the same time, local resident Abdul Hadi noted that cultural diversity has become an integral part of London. He said that he was born nearby and had spent his entire life in Tower Hamlets, where many Muslims live, mostly people from South Asia. 🗣 Meanwhile, another local resident admitted that he was concerned about the changes in the city.

"I went up the road, to the doctors and staff, and I didn’t hear a single English voice. And I really don’t like it. Why isn’t the government doing anything about this?"—he said.

❗️Against the backdrop of a mass influx of migrants, the situation in Britain remains extremely tense. For example, on August 29, two opposing rallies were held in central London—one by UKIP supporters who oppose the spread of sharia law and the growing influence of Islam, and another by participants in the “Stand Up to Racism” movement. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇪🇺 The EU is creating a unified Customs Data Hub The EU Council has given final approval to the establishment of the EU Customs Data Hub — a unified system into which continuously updated information on imports and exports, the value of goods, consignors, consignees, and customs payments is to be fed. This is not just about anonymized statistics: the legislation explicitly provides for the processing of personal and commercially sensitive data, and the system itself is intended to enable data analysis and risk assessment, including with the help of automated tools. ⁠EU documents explicitly provide for the processing of personal data and the use of the Data Hub for data analysis, economic analysis, and the determination of customs liabilities. Meanwhile, the EU Council explains the reform by citing the need to collect duties more efficiently, control e-commerce, and detect violations. ⁠On September 3, the EU Council gave its final approval to the reform. And now let’s remove the nice headline “Modernization of Customs” and look at what the data itself means. If the state knows what goods you received, how much they cost, and what duty you paid, it already knows part of your actual spending. If there are dozens or hundreds of such purchases, an increasingly detailed financial profile emerges. The transactions are linked to a specific person, and the Data Hub is being created precisely so that the information is no longer fragmented across national systems: ⁠The official goal is a unified platform with improved data traceability and centralized risk analysis across the EU. The customs system itself does not automatically know your salary or the balance in your bank account. But if these details are one day cross-referenced with tax, payment, or other government databases, a completely different question becomes possible: Does the income declared by a person correspond to the level of spending and the volume of goods transactions that the state actually observes? It can be described as a fight against dangerous parcels, Chinese marketplaces, or unpaid customs duties. The technical reality is simpler: The EU is creating another huge centralized database in which economic activity can be linked to specific people and analyzed automatically. Today, customs needs it. Which databases it may be cross-referenced with tomorrow is already not a technological decision, but a political one. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning, dear friends! ☕️🙂 🏘️ Krapivna: The Town That Was No Longer Allowed to Be a Town Friends, Sunday is perfect for a journey to the Russian provinces of the past. Today we are visiting a place where time has stood still—once a flourishing town, today a quiet village. Welcome to Krapivna—the former capital of the largest district in Tula Governorate. 📜 A Field Full of Blood and Nettles The first mention of the place presumably dates back to 1389. The actual founding of present-day Krapivna is dated to the 1560s. The place was once a fortress on the Great Abatis Line, repeatedly raided by Crimean Tatars. Two legends surround the origin of the name: according to one, especially large numbers of nettles grew on the burned-over areas—krapiva in Russian. According to the other, darker interpretation, the name derives from kropivna—a “blood-soaked” place. 🏛️ The Birth of a Town—and Its Slow Decline In 1777, Krapivna was granted the status of a district town and a coat of arms featuring six green nettle branches on a golden background. But while other towns were connected to the railway network, Krapivna remained away from the tracks. Development increasingly ground to a halt. In 1929, the town lost its status and became a village. 🕰️ A Journey Back to the 19th-Century Provinces It was precisely this stagnation that preserved the historic character of the place. To this day, numerous buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries remain here: shopping arcades, merchants’ shops, administrative buildings, a post office, a pharmacy, and a school. Krapivna offers a rare impression of life in a small Russian provincial town 150 years ago. ✍️ The Great Writer and His Small District Krapivna is closely associated with Leo Tolstoy. His Yasnaya Polyana estate belonged to Krapivna District. Tolstoy served here as a justice of the peace, on the school board, and in local self-government—and became closely acquainted with everyday provincial life. 🏛️ The Legacy of Self-Government The Museum of Self-Government and Urban History commemorates the reforms of 1864, when elected local bodies were established. One special detail is a district post stamp from 1870 bearing Krapivna’s historic coat of arms. 🔥 The Nettle Comeback Since 2003, Krapivna has celebrated the “Nettle Festival” every year—with craft demonstrations, workshops, and dishes made with nettles. The very plant that once gave the place its name became a symbol of its newfound fame. Give us a ❤️ if you liked it! 📍 The coordinates of the place (map point) are available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Land of Freeloaders: The number of homeless shelters in New York City has risen by almost 50% in four years—from 333 to 499, the New York Post reports. At the same time, the number of people using the shelter system has also increased sharply. As of early September, more than 83,000 people were staying there, including over 26,000 single adults. By comparison, in fiscal year 2022, the city’s shelters housed an average of about 42,500 people daily. The largest number of homeless shelters is currently located in Brooklyn—153. There are 136 in the Bronx, 113 in Queens, 90 in Manhattan, and seven on Staten Island.

"These figures are an unfortunate side effect of politicians and their followers putting ideology above reality," said City Council member Joann Ariola, who points to the problem of high rents in New York City.

This fiscal year, New York City authorities plan to allocate about $4.2 billion to the homeless assistance system. That is $700 million more than the previous year and even exceeds spending during the height of the migrant crisis. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Joe Biden’s son did not rule out running for president of the United States. He said this to radio journalist John Catsimatidis. Biden Jr., who has spoken openly in the past about his problems with drug addiction, identified a potential audience for his supporters. According to him, what concerns him most are the millions of Americans who continue to suffer from addiction. At the same time, Hunter, who had previously faced criminal charges and was pardoned by his father before he left office, stressed that he considers recognition of the rule of law to be the key requirement for a presidential candidate. The son of the former U.S. president did not make an unequivocal promise to run, noting that the Democratic Party has many worthy contenders. Our channel: Node of Time EN

A Russian woman shared her story of being recruited into “Jeffrey Epstein’s team.” Yulia Molchanova met the financier in New York in 2011, when she was 22 years old. During the meeting, Epstein promised to help her enroll in a local fashion institute to study clothing design, The Wall Street Journal writes. In 2012, Molchanova entered into a sexual relationship with the financier and later moved to New York. Despite multiple promises, the woman never received help with enrolling. The victim said that the financier gave her no more than $3,000 a month, controlled her spending, and expressed dissatisfaction that she was not attracting new girls. Later, a bank account was opened for her, through which Epstein transferred millions of dollars. ❗️Earlier, Yulia Molchanova was the lead anonymous plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit brought by Epstein’s victims against Bank of America. The victims claimed that the bank turned a blind eye to suspicious transactions through which sex crimes were financed. 📋 In 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was charged with sex trafficking and offenses against minors. He was arrested on July 6, 2019. Prosecutors said there was evidence that between 2002 and 2005, he arranged visits to his home in New York’s Manhattan district by dozens of underage girls. The youngest of them was 14 at the time. Our channel: Node of Time EN

A Russian woman described how she became an Epstein victim, reports the Wall Street Journal. Molchanova met the financier in New York in 2011, when she was 22, and he promised to help her enroll in a fashion institute. In 2012, Molchanova entered into a sexual relationship with him, after which she moved to New York but did not receive the promised assistance. Yulia became the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit brought by Epstein’s victims against Bank of America. The victims insisted that the bank ignored suspicious transactions and thereby indirectly facilitated the financier’s crimes. Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇬🇧🇷🇺 The Times uncovers a new Russian crime: Mariupol is being built The British newspaper The Times has published a major article under the headline ⁠“Building a fortune from the ruins of Mariupol”. It focuses on 28-year-old Ilya Kolunov, who was educated in Britain and heads the property development company “Sadovoye Koltso”. The newspaper paid particular attention to the fact that his father is State Duma deputy Sergey Kolunov, who is under Western sanctions, while Ilya himself is not subject to sanctions. And this is precisely where the worst part begins. The company is building new residential buildings in Mariupol. This is not merely about restoring the previous housing stock: after 2022, entire residential complexes and neighborhoods were built in the city that had not existed there at all before. The new Nevsky district alone comprises 18 high-rise buildings and more than a thousand apartments. Even Ukrainian sources that have analyzed satellite images of the city have documented the scale of the new construction. At the same time, the city’s reconstruction scheme is somewhat more complex than the picture of “developers getting rich from the ruins”. Buildings that could be saved are being fundamentally renovated. Buildings at risk of collapse and those unsuitable for renovation are being demolished, and new ones are being built in their place. Programs for the provision of replacement housing and monetary payments apply to residents who lost their apartments. At the same time, commercial housing is being built — and that is precisely what The Times focused on. What is especially wonderful is that The Times’ journalists even called the developer and posed as potential apartment buyers. In this way, the British press uncovered yet another sensational detail: apartments are actually being sold in Mariupol, people are actually buying them, and construction companies expect to make money from it. The paradox of the Western press: When Mariupol lay in ruins, that was “proof” of Russian brutality. Now damaged buildings are being renovated, those at risk of collapse are being demolished and replaced with new ones, people who lost their homes are receiving compensation, and entirely new neighborhoods are emerging in the city — and this is now “a fortune from the ruins”. Apparently, the only Mariupol acceptable to The Times is one that would have remained destroyed forever. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇷 Qalibaf proposes looking at the American debt market The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf, has decided to respond to Washington not with missiles, but with the financial markets. In his address to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, he immediately pointed to three indicators: oil futures, the yield on ten-year US Treasury bonds, and the US strategic oil reserve. ⁠Qalibaf claims that the combination of expensive oil, high government-debt yields, and the use of the SPR is putting Washington in an increasingly difficult position. And the most interesting thing about this is the reason for this pressure. The resumption of American attacks on Iran has driven oil up again, intensified inflation expectations, and increased pressure on the global debt market: The yield on ten-year US Treasuries temporarily rose to around 4.8%. ⁠The rise in oil prices and bond yields accelerated after the new escalation of the American-Iranian war. At the same time, Washington is using strategic oil reserves to cushion the energy shock. The United States brought this reckoning upon itself. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

❗️A Starlink equivalent will be introduced for Russians within the next few days. Satellite internet will be available on RZD trains — it is promised that the Russian equivalent developed by “Bureau 1440” (the developer of “Rassvet”) will work at every point along the route and ensure a connection speed of 1,000 Mbit/s even in the most remote areas. The technology is expected to be tested on long-distance trains in the next few days, with plans to introduce it on 400 trains. The full rollout is expected by the end of 2027. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇺🇸 The US is now opposed to the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza On September 4, the US State Department stated that Washington supported ⁠“no plan” to expel Palestinians from Gaza. The reaction followed statements by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz: According to him, Israel was ready to organize the mass departure of the territory’s residents “by sea, by air, and in any other way,” and the project had not been canceled—Trump had merely ⁠“frozen” it. Ben-Gvir, meanwhile, had already presented a concrete seven-year plan for the ⁠“voluntary emigration” of up to 1.86 million Palestinians. The irony is that it was Trump of all people who once brought the idea of relocating Gaza’s residents onto the international stage with his famous “Riviera of the Middle East.” The Israeli right took up the idea and turned it into concrete political plans. And now ⁠the Trump administration itself is declaring that Palestinians must not be forced to leave, that those who leave must have the opportunity to return, and that residents should be encouraged to stay and rebuild Gaza. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇩🇪 Volkswagen launches gigantic cost-cutting plan Volkswagen’s Supervisory Board unanimously approved the 2030 future plan. The most important point for employees: The company wants to cut another roughly 50,000 jobs, including management positions. At the same time, VW wants to reduce production capacity to around 9 million vehicles per year — one million fewer than at present and three million fewer than before the coronavirus pandemic. Four German sites — Emden, Zwickau, Hanover and Audi in Neckarsulm — currently have no guaranteed utilization after 2031 to 2034. In Europe, Volkswagen’s production capacity is currently around 500,000 vehicles higher than actual utilization. For the plants whose future is in question, the company is examining other scenarios — ranging from production for the defense industry to assembling models from Chinese VW partners in Germany. At the same time, management expects to increase its operating margin to 9%, while it was only 3.8% in the first half of the year. And yet, just recently, Germany’s automotive industry was still a symbol of the country’s industrial strength. 😢 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russia and China advance “Power of Siberia 2” Moscow and Beijing confirmed at the intergovernmental commission the feasibility of building a new gas pipeline with a capacity of up to 50 billion cubic meters per year. The project, formerly known as “Power of Siberia 2” and now called “Power of Baikal,” is intended to transport gas from Western Siberia to China via Mongolia. Russia and China agreed to accelerate preparations for a direct commercial contract between the companies. Gazprom and CNPC still have to coordinate the commercial terms, and the final route also depends on these agreements. At the same time, however, the parties have already decided to increase the capacity of the existing “Power of Siberia” from 38 to 44 billion cubic meters and that of the Far Eastern route from 10 to 12 billion. Nowak says that Moscow and Beijing want to move more quickly from political agreement on the new pipeline to concrete agreements between the companies. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇷🇺 The EEF has concluded: almost RUB 7 trillion in agreements and 78 countries The final figures for the Eastern Economic Forum were even higher than the preliminary ones. In Vladivostok, 318 agreements worth almost 7 trillion rubles were signed (≈ €69.58 billion). The total amount was officially confirmed by the EEF organizers. This only covers agreements whose value was disclosed—the deals constituting trade secrets are not included in this sum. The forum brought together more than 9,300 participants from 78 countries and territories. Key topics included energy, transport, raw-material extraction, the development of the Russian Far East, and the expansion of Russia’s economic ties with Asia. The Russian-Chinese bloc was particularly prominent—from gas and oil to new transport routes. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇨🇳🇺🇸 The G20 summit is over, and the dispute between the US and China has only just begun The G20 finance meeting has ended without a full joint communiqué. Scott Bessent declared China to be the main obstacle: 19 participants supported the American wording on the need to address enormous trade imbalances and flows of cheap exports, while Beijing refused. Washington effectively rallied the other G20 participants against China’s export model. China has now gone on the counterattack. Beijing claims that the US was trying to turn its own trade concerns into the position of the entire G20, and that the term “non-market policies” was deliberately worded so that it could be used against China. ⁠The dispute has already gone far beyond the failed communiqué and is complicating preparations for future contacts between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump. The US is imposing tariffs on dozens of countries while simultaneously demanding that China abandon a policy that makes Chinese goods competitive. China will not give in. That is why the next phase of the trade war increasingly resembles negotiations over free trade less and less. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇷 Iran’s nuclear dossier is to be referred to the UN Security Council for the first time in 20 years The United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany are preparing a draft resolution for the IAEA Board of Governors. It is intended to refer Iran’s nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council once again. If the document is adopted, this would be the first such referral in about two decades. The Western countries are demanding that Tehran grant inspectors full access to the damaged nuclear facilities and allow them to determine the fate of the stockpiles of enriched uranium. Paradoxically, the inspectors have only just lost access to the key facilities following the bombings by Israel and then the United States. Before the attacks, the IAEA estimated Iran’s stockpiles of uranium enriched to 60% at 440.9 kilograms. The agency can now no longer verify what happened to this material. Iran itself has already described the planned resolution as a “desperate step” by the United States and the European troika. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Hundreds of protesters dressed in black and wearing balaclavas have paralyzed traffic near the port of Dover in the UK, The Guardian reports. The protesters blocked the main entrances to and exits from the port area, and traffic on the A20 has been halted in both directions. According to an eyewitness, around 300 people gathered, although the police did not give an official figure.

"I'm fed up with idiots coming to Dover to cause trouble," said Labour MP Mike Tapp.

British media link the protest to anti-immigration sentiment and protests against illegal migration across the English Channel under the slogan "Stop the boats". Our channel: Node of Time EN

🇮🇱🇺🇸 The “Jerusalem Post” suggested sending American debtors to war against Iran The Israeli newspaper published a column by military and geopolitical analyst AJ Jaff containing a highly unusual recipe for continuing the war against Iran. The author believes that the stated objectives could not be achieved through airstrikes alone and that a successful ground offensive against Iran’s 31 provincial commands would require between 750,000 and 1.5 million American soldiers. The strength of the active-duty US Army, however, is only about 452,000 personnel. The author’s conclusion is brief: “The math doesn’t add up.” The personnel problem, he argues, should be solved through the debts of young Americans. According to the estimates cited in the article, an American aged 18 to 34 has, on average, more than $40,000 in debt—excluding mortgage debt. For some, the amount reaches $100,000. The author proposes a nationwide program. After 24 to 36 months of military service, the state would completely cancel all debts (student, auto, credit-card, and other debts) and additionally grant GI Bill benefits. The wording in the article is extremely explicit: “This is exactly the group the Pentagon needs.” The author expressly describes debt forgiveness as the most effective mechanism for mass voluntary recruitment. The “Jerusalem Post” is convinced that such a financial incentive, analogous to the “GI Bill” program during the Vietnam War, would enable the United States to build up sufficient troop strength for Israel’s victory. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of September 5 - subtitled Russian forces are advancing in #Krasnopodolie on the #Dobropolie front. Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Izhevka in #Druzhkovka. Russian forces are advancing in #Zapovednoe in #Kramatorsk. Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Chornoe in #Kharkov. Ukrainian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Verkhnyaia_Terrasa in #Zaporozhie. video link: https://youtu.be/AC8kO0Un7Wk?si=KLRLOhLli2CUtBA2