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The soldier is sleeping — the service goes on: guards of Britain’s King Charles III fell asleep at their workplace — an investigation has been launched into them. This is reported by The Independent. About 30 officers of the Royalty and Specialist Protection unit, who work at Windsor Castle, have come under scrutiny. Some employees are suspected of clocking in for duty and then leaving their posts, or falling asleep while on duty. 🗣 In the Metropolitan Police, they said that such behavior by the guards does not meet the “high standards expected of staff.” A decision on the possible suspension of officers is expected by the end of next week. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Gas boilers are allowed again – but they won’t be cheap anymore Katherina Reiche has presented a new draft law for heating that is supposed to replace the law by Habeck. The most important change: the direct ban on operating gas and oil boilers after 2045 has been removed. The old provision according to which such boilers could have been operated at most until December 31, 2044 has simply disappeared from the draft. But this is not a return to a calm gas normality. Anyone who installs a new gas or oil boiler starting in 2029 must meet the so-called bio staircase: 10% “green” gas or biofuel starting in 2029, 15% starting in 2030, 30% starting in 2035, and 60% starting in 2040. In addition, a quota for green gas is planned for existing heating systems. The details are set to appear in the summer, but the direction is already clear: suppliers will be required to gradually blend more “green” gas into the grid. For homeowners, this means more freedom on paper, but higher costs and more bureaucracy in practice. ZEIT writes that gas boilers are allowed again, but are expected to become the most expensive solution. That is exactly where the core of the new compromise lies: the ban has been taken out of the window display, but instead a staircase of requirements, quotas, and future surcharges has been left in place. Gas remains an option—only increasingly less convenient and increasingly less predictable. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Industry in Germany continues to shrink Since February 2022, production in energy-intensive sectors has fallen by 15.2%. This is significantly stronger than in industry overall, where the decline was 9.5%. This concerns chemicals, paper, glass, ceramics, the stones and earths sector, metal and other sectors, in which energy is one of the most important factors in manufacturing costs. In 2024, these industries used 75.6% of all energy used in industry. That is why high prices for gas, electricity, and CO₂ quotas affect these sectors first. Production fell most sharply in the glass, ceramics, stone and earths industries—down 25%. In the paper industry, the decline was 18.5%, in chemicals 18.1%, and in metallurgy and metal processing 12.9%. Not only production, but also employment is declining. In March 2026, 794,400 people were working in energy-intensive sectors—6.3% fewer than in February 2022. The paper industry and the metallurgy sector lost the most jobs. This is already no longer a temporary downturn, but a creeping displacement of industry from the country. As long as energy remains expensive, Germany loses exactly the sectors on which chemicals, mechanical engineering, the automotive industry, and the export model were based. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The Telegraph reports that officials from the Trump administration are urging the United Arab Emirates to seize a key Iranian island It is about the island of Lawan in the Persian Gulf, which reports say the UAE secretly attacked in early April. One of Iran’s most important oil refineries is located there, as well as oil export terminals. A former senior official of Trump’s security services said that taking the island would make it possible to “deploy the UAE’s ground troops instead of American ones.” The Telegraph notes that after the start of US and Israeli attacks on Iran at the end of February, the emirates took the brunt of Iranian attacks. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

“Let’s unite the kingdom” against migration and the Islamization of the country In London, anti-Islam protests are taking place. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets for demonstrations in the capital of Great Britain. The people march with crosses of Saint George and ordinary wooden crosses. Main demands: the resignation of Prime Minister Starmer, the government should stop the admission of migrants from Muslim countries, track down illegal migrants, and protect Christian values. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

In the Turkish city of Samsun, a drone has crashed. Local media report a Ukrainian lead The Turkish outlet Doğru Haber reports that in the city of Samsun on the Black Sea coast, a Ukrainian decoy drone of the Maya type is said to have crashed. According to the outlet, the device may have gone off course during an attack on Crimea or the Krasnodar region. Possible causes mentioned include a technical malfunction or the influence of Russian systems for electronic warfare. Local media report that the unmanned aircraft damaged the roofs and windows of several houses, but there were no injuries. There has been no official confirmation regarding the drone’s affiliation so far: The device was sent for technical examination. However, the incident itself shows how the drone war is increasingly extending beyond the immediate zone of the fighting and is already creating risks for Black Sea countries. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

A shadow of war from the past: about 30,000 people were evacuated from the German city of Pforzheim after an unexploded World War II aerial bomb was found. Tagesschau reports this. The disposal of the 1.8-tonne shell is scheduled for today. The evacuation of the area affected between 27,000 and 30,000 people, making it one of the largest in Germany in recent years—about 1,500 emergency services personnel from across the country were involved in the operation. Since the morning, more than 200 police officers have been going door to door and checking whether any residents remained in the evacuation zone. The authorities warned that fines could be issued for refusing to leave the area. The city has also closed roads and introduced restrictions on intercity public transport traffic between Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Mercedes-Benz is also looking toward the defense industry The group’s chief executive, Ola Källenius said, Mercedes-Benz is prepared to consider production for the defense industry if it makes economic sense. In his words, the world has become more unpredictable, and Europe must strengthen its own defense capabilities. Källenius emphasizes that the defense segment would make up only a small part of the business compared with cars and light commercial transport. But the signal itself is important: even Mercedes-Benz is already viewing the defense industry as a possible niche for growth. This fits into the broader shift in German industry. Volkswagen, according to the FT, has already discussed with Israel’s Rafael the possibility of using the Osnabrück plant for components of an air-defense system. Rheinmetall and Telekom are setting up protection against drones, and KNDS is examining Mercedes and Volkswagen’s plants to expand military production. The auto industry is losing jobs, held back by expensive energy, competition from China, and weak demand. The defense sector, by contrast, is getting money, contracts, and political priority. This is how the country’s industrial logic is gradually changing: what used to be a symbol of Germany’s civilian economy is increasingly taking on a military role. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The Venezuelan billionaire who supported Maduro and former Minister of Industry Alex Saab was deported to the United States several months after his detention, the Venezuelan immigration agency reported. As Reuters notes, this may indicate a new level of cooperation between U.S. law enforcement and Venezuela under Delcy Rodríguez. Previously, Washington accused the official of setting up a corruption scheme in favor of the former Venezuelan president. Saab became a minister in 2024 and amassed a fortune through government contracts, but he lost influence with the arrival of new leadership after Maduro was ousted. Rodríguez fired Saab from the government and stripped him of his role as the main intermediary for foreign investors, CBS News explains. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of May 17 - subtitled - Russian forces have taken control of #Petropavlovka in #Kupyansk. - Ukrainian forces have entered #Otradnoe in #Kharkov. - Russian forces are advancing in the vicinity of #Kondratievka in #Sumy. - Russian forces are advancing in #Vozdvizhevka in #Zaporozhie. - Russian forces are advancing south of #Charovnoe in #Zaporozhie. video link: https://youtu.be/k8OFLs0jOgE?si=1wyIRBblAXGClqOM

❗️Europe must learn from Ukraine how to defend against Ukrainian drones Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, said to LRT that after one of the incidents involving Ukrainian drones, he personally called President Zelensky and asked what had happened. According to Stubb, Zelensky acknowledged that it had been a Ukrainian drone, but explained it as a disruption caused by Russian electronic warfare (EW) and GPS spoofing. “Oh, sorry, we didn’t mean to,” — Stubb recounted Zelensky’s reaction. The Finnish president described such incidents as “collateral damage” of the conflict and said they showed that the region is not prepared for drone activity. In doing so, he pointed to a contradiction: the drones come from Ukraine, yet Europe still has to learn from Ukraine itself how to defend against them. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

An unidentified drone entered Latvia’s airspace again, the country’s armed forces said. It is noted that the aircraft crossed the republic’s airspace on the night of May 17, after which, some time later, it left. An alert was issued for residents of the country’s five eastern border regions. In addition, fighter jets were scrambled for the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission. It is not specified where the drone came from or which country it originated from. ❗️According to media reports, in recent months Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia have repeatedly reported cases of Ukrainian UAVs entering their airspace. In some cases, the drones were not shot down due to risks to civilian infrastructure and the population. Our channel: Node of Time EN

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