CSKA Secures Top Spot in RPL with 3-2 Derby Victory Over Spartak
CSKA Moscow has taken the lead in the Russian Premier League (RPL) table following a thrilling 3-2 victory over their rivals Spartak in a highly anticipated derby. This win positions them at the top as the championship heads into a two-week international break, during which the Russian national team will play friendlies against Iran and Bolivia.
The capital witnessed two exceptionally vibrant derbies this weekend. Following Lokomotiv`s 5-3 win against Dynamo on Saturday, spectators at VEB Arena were treated to another emotionally charged encounter. Spartak experienced a disastrous start, conceding three goals by the 18th minute from Glebov, Oblyakov (via a controversial penalty), and Krugovoy. Gedson quickly responded for Spartak, bringing the score to 3-1 by halftime. In the second half, a substitution saw Livai Garcia replace the struggling Babich, and Garcia managed to narrow Spartak`s deficit to one goal. Despite an improved performance in the latter half, the visitors couldn`t equalize.
Nenad Sakic, Spartak`s acting coach (Dejan Stankovic was suspended), offered a somber assessment:
“A tough, a really very tough defeat. The first 15-20 minutes were key, when there was only one team on the field—it was CSKA. The opponent pressed us aggressively all over the pitch and made those three interceptions, which eventually resulted in two goals and a penalty. CSKA really entered the game much, much better. Everything just worked for them with a good attitude. And when in such situations this is multiplied by the quality of the opponent, it is very difficult to counter something. We understood how they played, we prepared, but unfortunately, nothing worked out today.”
The match`s unfolding was marked by individual errors and the defensive line`s inability to cope with CSKA`s quick attackers. Conversely, CSKA nearly squandered their lead in the second half as the Umyarov-Barco-Gedson connection began to click for Spartak, and CSKA significantly slowed their pace. Adding to their woes, goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev suffered an ankle ligament tear and was substituted with thirty minutes left to play.
CSKA now sits atop the league, potentially stronger than even “Krasnodar” and certainly surpassing the recently faltering “Zenit.” Zenit barely escaped Samara with a 1-1 draw after Akron missed a late penalty. Zenit`s coach Sergey Semak attributed their struggles merely to bad luck in finishing, though the underlying issues seem deeper.
Sergey Semak commented:
“Before the goal, we probably had pretty good control, and played as we should. After the goal, our intensity dropped, the quality and speed of passes fell. As a result, we allowed a couple of dangerous approaches from Akron. I agree on the attack that we lacked the final pass, a good finishing shot. Even passes were there today, but unfortunately, a shot to score was missing. That is, chances arose, but we lacked a good, precise shot.”
Leading goal scorers in the league are Batrakov of Lokomotiv with nine goals, and Daku of Rubin with eight.
The current league standings are: CSKA — 24 points. Lokomotiv and Krasnodar — 23 points each, with Lokomotiv placed higher due to their 2-1 head-to-head victory. Zenit and Baltika (who beat Makhachkala 2-0) both have 20 points. Spartak and Rubin have 18 points. Dynamo is in eighth place with 15 points.
The national football championship will now observe a two-week hiatus for the October international break. The Russian national team is scheduled to face Iran in Volgograd on October 10th, and then Bolivia on October 14th at the Dynamo Arena named after Lev Yashin, under the guidance of coach Valery Karpin.
Proposed Changes to Family Mortgage Rates in Russia
Speaker of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, advocates for adjusting family mortgage rates based on the number of children. Her remarks were made during parliamentary hearings on the federal budget parameters for 2026.
Currently, the preferential family mortgage scheme offers a 6% rate to families with one child under seven years old. However, media reports suggest that the Ministry of Finance is considering raising this rate to 12% for families with one child, while maintaining the 6% rate for families with two children, and reducing it to 4% for families with three children.
Domklik, a service whose data was cited by the newspaper “Vedomosti,” calculated the potential impact of these changes. Approximately 2.8 million families raising a single child could lose access to the favorable mortgage conditions. This would lead to an increase in average monthly payments, making it more financially appealing for young families to consider purchasing homes in the secondary market. Dmitry Rakuta, founder of the Association of Mortgage Brokers and a real estate expert, discussed how this measure might affect single-child families` ability to buy apartments:
Dmitry Rakuta
Founder of the Association of Mortgage Brokers, Real Estate Expert
“If we compare family mortgages and secondary housing, the cost per square meter in the secondary market is currently lower. But if we turn to mortgages, there`s a significant difference in programs and rates. Young families are unlikely to afford payments for secondary housing. The issue of young families buying their first property will remain open, but I think that overall in this situation it would probably be more profitable to rent housing than to take out a mortgage on secondary housing, given the high key rate. Even with the reductions we see at each meeting, these measures are still insufficient. Until market mortgage rates are at least in the 14% range, the secondary market is unlikely to fully revive, and young families will not have the opportunity to buy property in the secondary market, which is significantly more advantageous. At the same time, the number of those willing and generally eligible for family mortgages and even the possibility of buying their first home is decreasing. Because, as a rule, young families don`t immediately buy two- or three-room apartments, but start with studios or one-room apartments. The 6% family mortgage facilitated this. In my opinion, this is a form of birth rate stimulation; the government`s logic here is clear. But on the other hand, borrowers who do not plan a second child are now faced with a dilemma: what to do? Because family mortgage rates will increase several times, and payments will become higher. Here you need to make a choice: either wait for the key rate to decrease and consider secondary housing, or enter a family mortgage under the new conditions. My recommendation to those who are currently thinking and deciding is to definitely consider this issue more globally before the New Year, because it is highly likely that serious changes to family mortgages await us.”
Anton Siluanov, the Minister of Finance, stated during parliamentary hearings on the budget draft that its parameters “are formed taking into account the current economic situation, characterized by a planned cooling of the economy.” He added that an increase in VAT from 20% to 22% would raise inflation by 1 percentage point.
Valentina Matvienko also proposed to Siluanov that non-working citizens or those with undeclared incomes should contribute to the mandatory health insurance fund. She suggested an annual contribution of 45,000 rubles, which she noted is the “average across the country” that employers pay per employee. Previously, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin had raised concerns about the funding of health insurance for non-working individuals.
Oslo Airport Briefly Halted Operations Due to Drone Reports, Russia Denies Involvement
Oslo Airport in Norway temporarily suspended operations early Monday morning after reports of drones in its vicinity. The airport has since resumed normal operations, and the drone sightings were not confirmed. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that drones observed in German airspace were unarmed and conducting reconnaissance flights.
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for the Russian President, told reporters that there is no basis to accuse Russia of involvement in the European drone incidents. He noted that many European politicians tend to blame Russia groundlessly and indiscriminately for everything.
On Monday night, Ukrainian military drones were repelled in the Belgorod, Tula, and Voronezh regions, and on approach to Moscow. According to the Ministry of Defense, over 250 drones were shot down overnight, including 40 over Crimea and 62 over the Black Sea. Two people were injured by falling drone debris at the Tuapse oil refinery, where a guard post caught fire, which was quickly extinguished. In Sochi Airport, dozens of flights were delayed after the airport was closed overnight due to the threat of attack.
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky had spoken of a possible unilateral ceasefire in the sky, though he did not specify which side should initiate it. However, new attacks followed. Dmitry Kornev, editor-in-chief of “New Defense Order” magazine, comments:
“Zelensky`s proposal for a unilateral moratorium on air strikes has not yet received a continuation; no comments are visible. In the real events that are currently taking place, there are no changes. Massive drone strikes on oil and gas infrastructure, on energy infrastructure facilities of the Russian Federation continue, the suspension of airport operations, things one would not want to get used to, continued today. It is unclear what Zelensky`s statement about a unilateral moratorium was for, as we still see attacks as intensive, if not more so, than before.”
“There is an impression that someone paid for the flights of unidentified drones without specific targets in the vicinity of Western European airports, because they are detected, they cause ripples, they start to be discussed, and random people start talking about them. The drones are not equipped with equipment, armament; most often, it is a demonstration flight. This could be a provocation to elicit a reaction from the Western European public, from Western European governments – that is possible, and it is the first thing that comes to mind for the simple reason that there is no military sense in such actions.”
Ukrainian media and local authorities reported some results of Russian armed forces` actions last night: parts of Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions were left without electricity as a result of the attacks.
Faulty Robot Vacuum Cleaner Causes House Fire in Kursk Region
A malfunction in a robot vacuum cleaner led to a fire in the Kursk region, though fortunately, no one was injured. The fire damaged one room in a private house, with photos released by the Ministry of Emergency Situations showing charred wallpaper, furniture, and clothing, along with the burnt device itself.
The homeowners reported the smoke and, before firefighters arrived, closed the windows and doors in the affected room to slow the fire`s spread. The blaze was quickly extinguished. Preliminary investigations by the agency suggest the cause was an “emergency mode of operation” in the robot vacuum cleaner. Oleg Kapranov, head of the “Technologies” project at “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” and author of the “Toxic Digital” channel, commented on the situation:
Oleg Kapranov
Head of the “Technologies” project, “Rossiyskaya Gazeta”, Expert at ROZIT, Author of “Toxic Digital” channel
“There are no such things as `emergency modes` for robot vacuum cleaners; I think the Ministry of Emergency Situations specialists simply referred to a unit malfunction. This market is very large, with both expensive and cheap devices. With cheap devices, risks are usually associated with batteries, because the batteries there are usually not of very good quality. When it is in charging mode, there is a risk that something might go wrong with the battery, but I`m talking about very cheap vacuum cleaner models sold on marketplaces for 7-12 thousand rubles. When we talk about expensive models, in the price range of 40 thousand rubles and above, this is much less likely, despite the fact that they have much more peak loads functionally. Modern smart robotic vacuum cleaners wash themselves with hot water, which they heat themselves, and dry themselves with hot air, which they also heat. It would seem there are many technologies, and risks should be greater, but there have been no reports of incidents with expensive vacuum cleaners. With cheap ones, it happens. The whole point of such technology is that it works autonomously, it starts by timer, it works when the owners are not home, and that`s the whole idea. The correct scenario for its use is that you are not home, you are at work, and it cleans the floor during that time. But again, this is not a story about the usage scenario, not to the same extent – we leave the refrigerator at home when we go to work, it works, no one unplug them. This equipment must be of normal quality, and if we save money and buy low-quality equipment, the risks increase. This applies to any electronics – cheap Chinese chargers burn out just as constantly.”
While incidents involving robot vacuum cleaners are not frequently reported in the media, cases of electric scooters exploding in homes and apartments are becoming more common. Last summer, such incidents were recorded in several Russian regions, including Khakassia, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, and Crimea, among others.
Moscow Weather Forecast: Warm, Cloudy, and Rainy Week Ahead
Moscow and its surrounding region can expect warm, foggy, and cloudy weather with light precipitation this week, reminiscent of September. Daytime temperatures are predicted to remain stable until Friday, ranging from +12 to +14 degrees Celsius, while nighttime lows will be between +9 and +11 degrees Celsius, ruling out any overnight frosts. Lyudmila Parshina, head of the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia`s laboratory, elaborates:
Head of the Laboratory, Hydrometeorological Center of Russia
“The weather in the Moscow region this week will be warm, corresponding to September weather. No night frosts are expected; daytime temperatures will not change significantly until Friday, rising from 9 to 14 degrees Celsius, and nighttime temperatures from 4 to 9 degrees Celsius. However, due to atmospheric fronts arriving from the west, from southern and Atlantic cyclones, rains are expected, with mostly no precipitation only on October 7th, and then light to moderate rain will fall almost every day, and the weather is expected to be cloudy. By October 11th, which is Saturday, temperatures will begin to drop slightly, to plus 3 degrees Celsius at night and plus 7 degrees Celsius during the day; the day will be cloudy and rainy. Then colder air will arrive in Moscow, and temperatures on Sunday will drop further by 2-4 degrees. But the weather will retain its character, being cloudy and rainy. In the first half of the week, atmospheric pressure will be elevated, then it will decrease, and by the end of the week – it will be below the climatic norm by approximately 10 units. A few days ago, there was a disturbed geomagnetic background, but it is calming down now, however, in two days a slightly disturbed geomagnetic background is again expected.”
Forecasters indicate that from next Monday, both daytime and nighttime temperatures will decrease. Nevertheless, significant cold, snow, or freezing rain are not anticipated in the Moscow region over the next two weeks.
Iran Approves Currency Denomination, Removes Four Zeros from Rial
Iran`s parliament has officially approved the denomination of its national currency, the rial. Over the next several years, four zeros will be removed from the currency, effectively equating 10,000 rials to a single new rial.
Shamseddin Hosseini, head of the parliament`s economic committee, stated that the primary objective of this new law is to enhance the functionality of banknotes and streamline financial transactions. Additionally, Iran plans to introduce a new currency unit called the qiran, which will be equivalent to one-hundredth of a rial.
Hosseini conceded that the denomination alone would not curb inflation or resolve the country`s broader economic challenges, terming it an “inevitable adjustment.” Reuters reports that the reform will be implemented in phases.
“Due to many years of inflation exceeding 35%, the exchange rate of the Iranian currency on the free market fell to 1.15 million rials per dollar. It became difficult for people to understand bills and financial statements. Banknotes became practically useless. Denomination will simplify the use of the rial in transactions and calculations. Work on the denomination bill has been ongoing for many years. The Guardian Council opposed its adoption. Nevertheless, yesterday the parliament lifted the council`s objections, and state media reported the adoption of the law. Shamseddin Hosseini, head of the parliamentary economic commission, stated that Iran`s currency will still be the rial, and changes will not happen instantly. The Central Bank has two years to prepare for the transition. After that, both denominations will be used simultaneously for three years.”
Reuters notes that several countries facing high inflation have previously attempted to remove zeros from their national currencies. Venezuela, for example, has undergone multiple monetary reforms in recent years but continues to grapple with severe inflation.
In late September, the UN Security Council reinstated sanctions against Iran at the initiative of Britain, Germany, and France. These restrictions include asset freezes, travel bans, and an arms embargo on Iran. The reason cited was the “nuclear deal,” with the European trio asserting that Iran had significantly exceeded its permitted enriched uranium stockpiles, a development interpreted as a program to develop nuclear weapons.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran has never sought to develop weapons of mass destruction and will not do so. Russia and China deemed the re-imposition of sanctions “unjust and illegal.”
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Resigns Less Than a Month After Appointment
Updated at 13:30
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, and President Emmanuel Macron has accepted his resignation, according to French media reports citing the Élysée Palace. Lecornu served as prime minister for less than a month, having presented his new government cabinet only on October 5th. France24 noted that this cabinet featured “many familiar faces.”
The majority of high-ranking members from the previous Prime Minister Bayrou`s cabinet were reappointed to their positions. This composition immediately drew criticism from both the opposition and some supporters, who threatened Lecornu with a vote of no confidence if he did not alter his political direction. Their demands also included the repeal of the pension age increase law and a less drastic approach to spending cuts and tax hikes.
Fyodor Lukyanov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy and Editor-in-Chief of “Russia in Global Affairs” magazine, commented on Lecornu`s resignation:
Fyodor Lukyanov
Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, Editor-in-Chief of “Russia in Global Affairs” magazine
“It didn`t even come to an attempt to confirm the government in the National Assembly. I don`t know the reason; it`s an unexpected message. When the news of the new government`s composition was announced yesterday, all the ministers and so on, I was surprised because it wasn`t new at all—the same people, with the exception of the former Prime Minister Bayrou, who initiated a vote of confidence and didn`t receive that confidence. It looks now as if Bayrou, simply understanding that it was a complete dead end, decided to force the issue simply to leave and absolve himself of responsibility. The fact that Macron after this didn`t try to find any new approaches, but simply took another close associate, entrusted him with forming the same government, indicates that Macron might not be fully adequate, doesn`t quite know what to do. Or he hoped that he would succeed with cunning manipulations and intrigues to push through the same thing under the guise of a new person. But, perhaps, the announced composition and initial reactions from the parliamentary corps made it clear that this would never pass, and Lecornu, accordingly, did not waste time, energy, and effort. Possibly…”
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth