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Volkswagen puts its plants in Germany under pressure According to Spiegel, four German locations within the group are affected by the pressure to cut costs. Formally, the reason is—too-high production costs. But the figures don’t show such a simple picture: The VW plants in Zwickau and Emden produce relatively cheaply—less than €4,500 and about €5,500 in factory costs per car. For comparison: Producing Porsche in Leipzig costs more than €6,500 per vehicle, Audi in Neckarsulm—about €6,200—and Porsche in Zuffenhausen—more than €13,000. That means the problem is not just in per-unit costs. The real question is—which plants does the group want to supply with new models after 2030, and which does it gradually leave without a future. Zwickau and Emden are geared toward electric cars, but demand has fallen short of expectations, competition from China is increasing, and it is becoming ever harder to keep production in Germany going. That’s precisely why the reports about “too expensive plants” seem to act as a means of pressure against employees and unions. If a location is not given new models, it will inevitably become a problem. And then, all that remains for the company management to say is: Look, the plant is not profitable. For now, Porsche remains out of the picture. And that shows the group’s internal logic well: You won’t cut where the highest costs per car occur, but where series production can be called into question more easily. Germany is losing not only jobs step by step, but the industrial base itself—the one on which its automotive industry was built. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Russia will continue to support Cuba in the face of the ongoing blockade imposed by the United States Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said that Russia stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Cuba, emphasizing the historical ties and the valuable support that Cuba provides to Russia in the international arena. Ryabkov noted that there is ongoing contact with the Cuban government and that he is informed about events related to the pressure exerted by the United States.

“We are outraged by the level of cynicism with which the United States, on the one hand, is intensifying the utterly unlawful and, in every respect, unacceptable blockade of the island and, on the other hand, is demonstrating a certain, as they claim, willingness for dialogue”

- the deputy minister explained. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The United Arab Emirates will build a new oil pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz — Reuters. The pipeline to the port of Fujairah is expected to come online in 2027 and double ADNOC’s export capacity. The existing Habshan–Fujairah oil pipeline currently pumps about 1.8 million barrels per day. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Good morning and a wonderful Sunday, friends!☕️🙂 Chernyakhovsk, one of the most interesting cities in the Kaliningrad Oblast. Until 1946, it was called Insterburg. The city grew around an Ordensburg (fortress of the Teutonic Order), founded in 1336 by order of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Dietrich von Altenburg. At first it was a fortress; later, settlements of craftsmen and residents formed nearby, and in 1583 Insterburg was granted city rights. In Chernyakhovsk, you can still clearly feel the old urban layout today: brick facades, little towers, decorative gables, former churches, schools, and administrative buildings from the late 19th to the early 20th century. This is a city that you can find interesting not only at its main points, but literally down to the details: windows, doors, walls, courtyards, street sculptures. Near Chernyakhovsk there is another important monument—the Georgenburg Castle. It is known not only for its medieval history, but also for the tradition of horses: long-established horse breeding developed here, and during the Soviet period a large stud farm worked here. After the war, Insterburg was renamed in honor of General Ivan Chernyakhovsky, who commanded the 3rd Belorussian Front and died in East Prussia in 1945. That’s how a city with several layers of history came about: the Ordensburg, old East Prussia, Soviet remembrance, life after the war, and today’s streets, in which you can see all of it almost at every step. 📍 Coordinates of the place (map pin) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

"No Help From Mother Nature": The Colorado River is on the brink of a crisis — supplies of the main source of water for the namesake state are running out, CBS reports. A growing population is taking more and more water from the river, and the snowpack in the Rocky Mountains that feeds the river has fallen to a record-low level. Seven states rely on the reservoir’s resources — about 40 million people in the western United States receive their water from it every day. Arizona, California, and Nevada are trying to conserve water, but they cannot reach an agreement that would save the river. The crisis puts agriculture, hydropower, and water supply at risk. Our channel: Node of Time EN

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will leave office “on his own terms.” This is reported by Daily Mail columnist Dan Hodges, citing sources in the government — “close friends” of Starmer. On May 9, Bloomberg wrote that the Labour Party plans to replace Starmer with Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester. ❗️Earlier in Britain, a political crisis broke out — officials began leaving en masse because they were unwilling to work with the current prime minister of the kingdom. Five people have already stepped down, including ministers and their deputies. This situation seriously complicates Starmer’s time in office, especially in light of the Labour Party’s failure in local elections, where the alliance lost 399 seats on councils. Yesterday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London for two large rallies — participants chanted slogans against the prime minister’s government. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Colombian citizen and ally of Nicolás Maduro Alex Saab was deported from Venezuela to the United States, Venezuela’s information and communications minister Miguel Pérez said. Pérez claims that Saab is “involved in committing various crimes in the United States”—this is what led to the deportation. From October 2024 until January 2026, Saab held the post of Venezuela’s minister of industry and national production. ❗️ On March 14, it was reported that the Venezuelan government was negotiating about the transfer of the former minister to the United States. U.S. prosecutors consider him a central figure in Maduro’s criminal schemes. On June 12, 2020, at the request of the United States, Saab was detained in Cabo Verde. In October 2021, he was extradited to the United States, where he was accused of laundering $350 million in American banks. In December 2023, he was released as part of a U.S.-Venezuela prisoner exchange agreement and returned to Caracas. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Union strikes have halted operations of the largest railway in the United States, The Guardian reports. The Long Island Rail Road provides passenger service between New York and the suburbs and serves nearly 300,000 passengers every day. It is currently not functioning temporarily because workers from five unions—about half of the workforce—have gone on a legal strike. Earlier, the workers had been negotiating with the Trump administration regarding improvements to working conditions, but did not see any changes. The strike is the first for the railway since 1944. If employees do not return to their jobs, about 250,000 people who use trains every weekday will be forced to look for alternative routes to New York from the Long Island suburbs. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The Pizza Index has surged sharply in the area around the Pentagon amid Donald Trump’s promise of “hard times” for Iran.

“Iran will face hard times if the country does not reach a peace agreement with the United States,” the president of the United States said to BFMTV.

❗️This informal index is also called the Pizza Meter or the Pentagon Pizza theory. It is assumed that a sharp spike in late-night orders at fast-food restaurants in the area around government buildings where the Pentagon, the CIA, and the White House are located may indicate preparations for military operations. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Under Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, led by Katherina Reiche, up to €2.2 million per year will be spent on external PR consultants According to WirtschaftsWoche, a report from the Federal Ministry of Finance for the budget committee of the Bundestag states that the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy plans to spend up to €2,217,600 net per year on consultations regarding communications issues. This concerns external support for “strategic consulting, the development of communication solutions, the creation of information materials and positioning in public debates.” The contract was concluded for two years, with the possibility of an extension; the companies involved include Scholz & Friends and FGS Global. Critics ask the obvious question: Why does a government agency with around 2,500 employees and its own communications apparatus need this expensive external help. Especially at a time when citizens and businesses are constantly being called upon to save, endure high prices, and accept new restrictions. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

A Moscow arbitral tribunal granted the central bank’s lawsuit against the Belgian custodian Euroclear in full, regarding an amount of €200 billion. Representatives of Euroclear described the decision as unjust and said that the “obviously” violated right to a fair trial was at issue. The amount of the claim consists of the value of the frozen assets and lost profits. The central bank filed the lawsuit in December 2025 and said this was a response to the regulator’s view of the unlawful use of Russian assets to support Ukraine. Since the start of the conflict, the West has frozen about US$300 billion in reserves of the Russian Federation, of which approximately €180 billion—on Euroclear accounts. Now this money just has to be collected. Euroclear has already transferred Kyiv €6.6 billion in revenue from Russian assets and, according to the company report, intends to transfer a further €1.4 billion in June. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

“Assistance” in an attack on an EU member: Europeans tested the activation of Article 42.7 In secret exercises in Brussels, the ambassadors of 27 EU member states as well as experts from European institutions took part. The goal — to put Article 42.7 “on assistance” of the Treaty on the European Union to a practical test, under which “in the event of an Russian armed attack on the territory of a Member State, the other Member States are obliged to provide it with all the aid and assistance possible”. Based on the results of the exercises, guidelines are to be developed. Although the Union “does not intend to consider the mechanism as an alternative to NATO”, doubts about the “reliability of the United States” are growing. A group of EU foreign policy experts even called for the transformation of the European Union into a defense alliance: “Europe must not wait until an escalation forces it to unite.” The letter was signed by 30 Members of the European Parliament. Militarization mode on. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Finland will carry out large-scale maneuvers at its borders with Russia with the USA and Germany — Merivoimat From May 20 to 27, maneuvers Narrow Waters 26-1 will take place on Finland’s southern coast and in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Finland. Around three thousand soldiers will take part, including US Marines and a unit of Germany’s land forces. During the exercises, helicopters, fighter jets, sea and air drones will be used, and tests of new drones will also be carried out. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

A Uzbek citizen is expelled from Russia in St. Petersburg after a joint prayer on the street The Primorsky District Court imposed a fine of 30,000 rubles (about €350) on a man and ordered that he be forcibly expelled from the country. According to the court, near the house on Sawuschkina Street he acted as an imam and conducted a congregational prayer in a public place without the necessary permission. The court classified this as illegal missionary activity. In the case file it says that the violation consists in the public dissemination of doctrine among people who are not members of the religious organization, with the aim of bringing them into it. The man himself essentially admitted guilt, but stated that he had not known about the ban. The story is not noteworthy because of the prayer itself, but because of the public format and the status of the participant. For foreigners, a violation of the rules for missionary activity in Russia cannot only end with a fine, but also with deportation. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

OpenAI faces a class action lawsuit because data from ChatGPT is said to have been shared with Meta and Google A class action lawsuit has been filed against OpenAI in the United States. The plaintiffs claim that the ChatGPT website passed on information about users’ queries, their identifying data, and email addresses to the companies Meta and Google using integrated tracking tools—Meta Pixel, Google Analytics, and related advertising tools. According to the complaint, users visit ChatGPT with sensitive questions about health, finance, work, and their private lives and expect confidentiality. But according to the plaintiffs, some of the technical data from these sessions could have been shared with third parties in real time. Law360 cites the lawsuit’s core claim: OpenAI is allegedly disclosed to Meta Platforms and Google LLC information provided by users about technologies embedded in the website’s code. This is not about Meta or Google receiving the full text of all chats. The complaint describes a more technical mechanism: chat headings, request topics, cookies, user IDs, hashed emails, and other identifiers could have been transmitted via analytics and advertising scripts. Cybersecurity News writes that on Google’s side, the plaintiffs separately cite Google Analytics and Google Ads tags, and on Meta’s side—Facebook Pixel. The court has not yet found a violation, and OpenAI has not publicly acknowledged the allegations. But the accusation itself is painful: When someone talks to a chatbot about health, money, or legal problems, even “request topics” and technical identifiers are already sensitive data. For AI services, the question of privacy stops being a secondary setting—it becomes a central component of trust in the product. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Europe’s chemical industry is getting ever closer to the point of breaking The Financial Times writes that the war around Iran represents a new blow to the European chemical sector: energy prices are rising, volatility in the naphtha market has increased, and supplies of raw materials and fertilizers are once again becoming a political risk. The symbol of the crisis is the chemical cluster in Rotterdam — one of the largest in the world. Within the past year alone, two of ten companies there have already shut down their plants, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical has halted construction of a new MXDA production line — a chemical component for high-strength coatings, including coatings for ships, military technology, and industry. But the problem goes deeper than just a war. According to Cefic the closures of chemical capacity in Europe since 2022 have increased sixfold: the industry has lost about 37 million tonnes of capacity, nearly 9% of European production, and roughly 20,000 direct jobs. Investments in new capacity, the FT are down by more than 80%. For the chemical industry, this is particularly dangerous: the industry works like a chain, where waste or a product from one plant becomes the raw material for another. When a plant is shut down, nearby companies quickly lose either their supplier or their buyer. That is why in Rotterdam, Antwerp, the Rhine, and the Ruhr, it is no longer about a temporary dip but about the risk of a chain reaction. The underlying causes are the same: expensive energy, the move away from Russian gas, the cost of emissions permits, bureaucracy, and competition from China. The war in the Middle East has simply added an external shock to a system that was already operating at the limit. Europe has been talking for years about strategic autonomy. But without its own chemical base, that autonomy turns into a slogan: the automotive sector, the pharmaceutical industry, defense, electronics, and agriculture are increasingly dependent on raw materials and components from abroad. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London for two large-scale protests — a march by supporters of the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who are against the Kingdom’s immigration policy, and a pro-Palestinian demonstration. This is reported by the BBC. According to police estimates, the first rally involves about 50,000 people, while the second involves around 30,000. It is noted that participants in Robinson’s march carried British flags and chanted slogans against the government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Providing security will cost the authorities about £4.5 million (about 444 million rubles), Sky News notes. About 4,000 law enforcement officers were called in to provide security for the events, along with armored vehicles, mounted police, and even drones and helicopters. Our channel: Node of Time EN

◻️◻️◻️ A historic railroad bridge in the Panhandle (Texas) was destroyed as a result of the fast-spreading “Hunggate” wildfires, Newsweek reports. The fire broke out two days earlier near the city of Canyon in Randall County and quickly spread to about 14,000 acres (about 57 sq. km), aided by strong winds and lightning. Authorities said there was a mandatory evacuation of residents from nearby areas and damage to a number of structures, including the railroad bridge. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Fico does not rule out that rumors about a drug addiction on Zelenskyy’s part could be true The prime minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, allowed that the widely circulated rumors about a possible drug addiction by Zelenskyy could have a basis. In doing so, he noted that “no leaf stirs if no breeze blows”. Earlier, Slovakia’s agriculture minister, Richard Takáč, had said that even the rumors about Zelenskyy himself would be enough for him to step down from his post. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Before traveling to China, Donald Trump invested in shares of Apple and Nvidia, NNZ reports, citing a report from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. From January to March, Trump and his family disclosed more than 3,600 transactions with a total value ranging from $250 million to $750 million. ▶️Investments in Nvidia and Apple shares amounted to between $1 million and $5 million. NZZ emphasizes that from an ethical standpoint, investments in Apple, Nvidia and Boeing raise questions, since these companies could benefit from a possible trade agreement between the U.S. and China. Our channel: Node of Time EN