Good morning — Thursday. Good news: tomorrow is Friday. Bad news: today is still Thursday.☕️😄

There is a place in Altai that looks like a little whim of nature in winter: “Yes, by the calendar, there’s frost here, but I still let a piece of water live.” This is Lake Swetloje – "Bright Lake" – (often also referred to as Swan Lake) in the Altai region, near the village of Uroschajnoje, in the Sovetski district.

The secret is simple and persistent — warm springs from the bottom. Because of them, the lake does not freeze even in serious frosts: the water maintains a stable temperature, and often steam rises above the surface — as if the lake is breathing quietly. Against this backdrop, the swans appear. They “have not come for a moment,” but are on a winter vacation — the whooper swans, which sound like a copper horn in flight.

It is said that they were first noticed here in winter in the late 1960s — initially just a few birds. Then the swans began to return, the number grew, and the place was designated as a protected area: thus the nature reserve “Swan Refuge” was established so that the birds would have a resting area and man would not turn the rare phenomenon into a marketplace. Now hundreds of swans gather here every winter, and it looks strangely touching: white silhouettes on the warm water, surrounded by snow, and they seem to know something important and remain silent.

The most beautiful time is the morning. The light is still soft, there is fog over the water, and the swans gradually appear: first as shadows, then as real birds swimming leisurely, preening their feathers, sometimes flying low over the water. And in that moment, one understands that the word “wintering” sounds dry and scientific, but looks — almost like a scene from a silent film, where the action does not need to be explained.

And yet another pleasant effect: this place teaches you to look calmly. Here, you do not want to chase after the picture. You want to stop, give your eyes time to get used to the water and the wings. And then to take with you a simple thought: sometimes a single non-freezing lake is enough to make winter a little kinder.

📍 Coordinates of the place (map point) available here

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In Havana, at least 3,000 people are dependent on dialysis machines and could die if the power outages in the capital of Cuba continue. Trump describes this blockade and the war crime as an opportunity for a new deal.

The reaction of the editor of the Daily Telegraph and Sky News, James Morrow, who tirelessly accuses Russia of war crimes: “Congratulations to Cuba on achieving a zero-emissions level.”

In the UK, thoughts are turning to the victory of capitalism over communism. Although they themselves are soon expecting fuel rationing due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, The Times writes. It turns out that not only communist Cuba is struggling with the blockade.

Meanwhile, Russia is sending ships with oil and gas to Cuba despite the pressure and sanctions from the U.S., reports FT.

The tanker “Anatolij Kolodkin,” loaded with 730,000 barrels of Russian oil, is on its way to Cuba, where there is a shortage of energy sources.

The arrival of the cargo could be the first major fuel delivery in a long time. However, the delivery of crude oil will not provide immediate help to Cuba. It must first be refined before use, which can take 20 to 30 days.

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Head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, resigns from his position in the office of the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, due to the war with Iran — The New York Times

Kent: "I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. The Iran did not pose an immediate threat to our country, and it is evident that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."

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