Coast

Bringing wind energy 100 km from the coast seemed impossible. Until China has thrown away its new metallic “heart”

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A 25,000-tonne mass of steel, with the surface area of ​​a football field and the height of a 15-story building, is currently crossing the ocean aboard an immense semi-submersible ship. The latest great milestone in Asian engineering is already underway. This colossus has just set sail from the port of Nantong, in the eastern province of Jiangsu, on a 1,090 nautical mile journey to southern China. The protagonist of this monumental journey is called “Hai Feng Zhi Xin“, which translated into Spanish means “heart of the sea wind.” As highlighted in an official statement collected by the agency PR Newswireit is the largest offshore converter station in the world, built by the state-owned Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (ZPMC). Its destination is the waters off the city of Yangjiang, where it will connect to the mammoth Qingzhou V and Qingzhou VII offshore wind farms, operated by the corporation Three Gorges. The “bottleneck” of offshore wind. To understand the magnitude of this project, you have to understand the historical problem that the wind sector faced. As the news agency explains XinhuaUntil now, the development of offshore wind energy has hit a physical wall. Conventional wind turbines produce electricity in alternating current (AC). The problem is that transmitting this alternating current through submarine cables over long distances causes severe and unaffordable energy losses. This technical limitation forced engineers to build wind farms in relatively shallow waters and very close to the coast. However, the wind resource is much stronger, stable and constant the further you go into the open sea. That’s where the technological solution of this new project comes into play as it acts as the largest power adapter on the planet. It collects the energy generated by no less than 163 wind turbines, increases its voltage and converts that alternating current into direct current (DC). So why is this a game changer? Because direct current can travel hundreds of kilometers underwater with minimal energy loss. The platform boasts a record unit capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW) and operates with a flexible ±500 kilovolts (kV) direct current transmission system. In addition, it is a pioneer in the use of ±525 kV submarine cables for these distances. This technical conversion unlocks access to high-quality wind resources located more than 100 kilometers offshore, making ultra-deepwater wind finally commercially viable. When at full capacity, this metal “heart” will pump out 6 billion kWh of clean electricity a year, a vital boost to the decarbonization efforts of the industrialized Guangdong region. A 25,000 ton giant. Building a power plant in the middle of the raging deep ocean is not a viable option. The project was approached as a gigantic set of modular parts. Assembly, integration of all equipment and installation progressed in parallel onshore (Nantong), demanding an unprecedented level of supply chain coordination. Yan Bing, Senior Specialist of ZPMC cited by PR Newswireexplains that they adopted an integrated construction model of “land assembly, transportation as a single unit, and float-over installation.” This offshore installation method is overwhelmingly complex, requiring millimeter-level adjustment precision amidst strong ocean currents to fit the superstructure. Once locked into place, the platform’s working environment will be unforgiving. As detailed Xinhuawill operate completely autonomously, without a permanent human crew, controlled through intelligent maintenance and remote monitoring systems. Inside, a dense network of electrical, ventilation and fire control systems has been specially armored to resist the very high salinity and corrosive humidity of the deep ocean. The urgency of this megaproject. This feat is within China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). The Asian country has set the goal of reaching 100 gigawatts (GW) of installed offshore wind energy capacity by 2030. China’s problem is that its nearshore wind resources are quickly becoming saturated. Just in February this year, the country connected the first 20-megawatt offshore wind turbine to the grid in Fujian province (made entirely from domestic components), followed by the installation of the world’s largest floating wind platform in Yangjiang. The 100 kilometers from the coast are no longer an unbreakable border. With the imminent ignition of its new energy node, China not only alleviates the energy hunger of its coastal areas, but also establishes a replicable technical model that demonstrates to the entire world that the future of clean energy inevitably requires losing sight of the shore. Image | Xu Congjun/Xinhua Xataka | Japan has realized that it cannot depend on gas, so it is going to set up a mega wind farm on the coast of Tokyo

There is a “nuclear” gift from Russia to North Korea off the coast of Spain

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In the 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, many Western experts began to fear that Russian scientists and military technology would end arriving in North Korea through opaque means, silently fueling Pyongyang’s weapons programs. Since then, every strange move between Moscow and the North Korean regime has been observed with a mixture of concern, secrecy and suspicions that are difficult to prove. A collapse full of unknowns. counted this morning CNN in an extensive report that the sinking of the Russian freighter Ursa Major off the Spanish coast has ended up becoming one of the strangest and most opaque stories to emerge around the Ukrainian war, as well as one of the most delicate. Officiallythe ship suffered several explosions in December 2024 before sinking in the Mediterranean. However, from the first moment they began to accumulate details difficult to fit into the version of a simple maritime accident: a cargo absurdly described as “manhole covers”, a Russian military escort for much of the journey, strange maneuvers before the sinking, subsequent explosions on the wreck and a very unusual silence from both Moscow and the Spanish authorities. Little by little, the case began to look less like a conventional shipwreck and more a strategic operation that went wrong in the middle of an extremely sensitive geopolitical context. The suspicion that changes everything. The great suspicion arose when Spanish researchers and sources cited by CNN They began to point out that the Ursa Major could transport nuclear reactor components similar to those used in Russian submarines. The captain himself would have ended up admitting to Spanish investigators that those supposed “manhole covers” were actually linked pieces to two naval reactors, although he claimed not to know if they contained nuclear fuel. The most disturbing hypothesis is that the final destination was not Vladivostok, despite officially appearing on the route, but the North Korean port of Rason. That is where the story takes on a completely different dimension, because the sinking would no longer be just a maritime incident, but the possible interruption of a technology transfer extremely sensitive between Moscow and Pyongyang, just after North Korea sent thousands of soldiers to support Russia in the Ukrainian war. The WC-135 off Spain. The arrival of the WC-135 aircraft Americans was the detail that definitively set off all the alarms. These planes, known as “nuke sniffers,” are not just any aircraft: they are extremely specialized platforms designed to detect radioactive traces and analyze nuclear contamination in the atmosphere. Washington normally uses them to monitor nuclear tests, atomic accidents or sensitive activity in places like the Russian Arctic or Iran, in any case, not to routinely fly over the Mediterranean off Spain. that the United States will send twice These devices over the area where the Ursa Major rests immediately fueled the suspicion that he feared something much more serious than a simple shipwreck. Although there is no public confirmation of radioactive contamination, the simple deployment of these planes left a sensation that is very difficult to ignore: Russia could have had a nuclear “gift” destined for North Korea sunk in front of Europe. Let us remember that a few months later, Kim Yong Un showed the world his alleged nuclear submarine. Explosions, spy ships and an uncomfortable wreck. The sequence after the sinking made the story even stranger. According to the research quoted by CNNthe ship did not seem doomed to sink immediately after the first explosions. However, hours after Spanish rescue resources arrived, the Russian ship Ivan Gren It launched red flares over the area and new explosions were recorded, detected even by Spanish seismic systems. Days later it also appeared the Yantarofficially a Russian research ship but designated for years by NATO as spy platform submarine. He remained on the wreck for several days before to register more explosions underwater. All of this continued to fuel the theory that Moscow may have attempted to destroy sensitive evidence at the bottom of the Mediterranean, especially if the ship was carrying advanced military nuclear technology or compromised documentation related to North Korea. The theory of silent sabotage. Another of the most surprising aspects of the investigation is the possibility that the Ursa Major was attacked with an extremely unusual weapon. The Spanish authorities are handling the hypothesis of a small hole just 50 centimeters caused by a supercavitating torpedo Barracuda typea weapon capable of moving at very high speed by reducing the friction of water using a gas bubble. The disturbing thing about this type of torpedoes is that they can pierce a hull without necessarily generating a large audible explosion, something that would fit with the account of the Russian captain, who stated not having heard no impact as the ship began to lose speed. Other experts believe the use of limpet mines or attached charges to the helmet. In any case, the mere fact that sophisticated sabotage is contemplated in waters near Spain reveals to what extent the case has stopped looking like a conventional accident. The reflection of a new alliance. Beyond the concrete mystery of the Ursa Majorthe case reflects something even more important: the rapid rapprochement between Russia and North Korea. For years, Moscow avoided crossing certain lines related to the transfer of strategic military technology to Pyongyang. However, the war in Ukraine has changed many priorities. As we have been countingNorth Korea contributes ammunition, missiles and soldiers, and Russia could be returning the favor with technical knowledge much more sensitive. The images released months later of the sinking with Kim Jong Un showing the helmet of a supposed North Korean nuclear submarine fit closely with this possibility. If there really was an attempt to move Russian naval reactors to North Korea, the sinking of the Ursa Major could represent one of the most important (and most secret) episodes of the new military relationship between both countries. Whatever it is is still in the Mediterranean. To this day, the wreck remains at about 2,500 meters deep … Read more

a 1 GW wind farm floating off the coast of Tokyo

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The waters off the Izu island chain in the Pacific Ocean could soon be home to a colossus of modern engineering. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has put an unprecedented plan on the table: to build the largest floating offshore wind farm in the world. The goal of this megaproject is to achieve a generation capacity of at least 1 gigawatt (GW), a colossal figure that is equivalent to the power of a conventional nuclear reactor. An ambition that goes beyond. According to data from the International Energy Agency cited by the magazine NatureJapan is heavily dependent on the import of expensive fossil fuels. Turning on a 1 GW wind farm would cut about $300 million annually from the country’s fuel import bill at a stroke. Furthermore, the international context does not give up. A rigorous analysis of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) explains that the Third Gulf War They have once again exposed energy vulnerability of Japan, strongly tied to liquefied natural gas (LNG). Although the central government has responded by restarting old coal plants and nuclear reactors, the IEEFA warns that this strategy is suffocating national renewable energies. The Izu project would represent a clean alternative capable of offering energy security without being at the mercy of geopolitics. Added to this is an existential factor for the capital: protection against natural disasters. As highlighted Japan Newsthis floating wind farm would function as a vital emergency electricity source if a major earthquake struck directly beneath Tokyo, paralyzing the main islands’ grid. The leap from scale: from Norway to the Pacific. To understand the magnitude of what Japan is attempting, it is necessary to look towards the North Sea. Currently, the world’s largest operational floating wind farm is located in Norway and produces less than 100 megawatts. It is the world reference in this technology, but Tokyo’s vision is literally ten times greater. While the Norwegian project demonstrated that the technology was viable, Japan wants to demonstrate that it can be massive, scaling a niche solution to a national-level infrastructure. The engineering behind the giant. Instead of drilling into the ocean floor—which requires heavy excavation that severely damages the local ecosystem—the design will opt for floating platforms. These turbines will rest on the water surface, secured by a complex system of moorings and anchors to the seabed. The captured energy will travel about 100 miles north to power outlets in Tokyo through a hidden artery: high-voltage underwater transmission cables. But Japan is not the docile European North Sea. Its waters face devastating typhoons, strong earthquakes and dizzying coastal depth. To tame these elements, Nature details that Japanese researchers They are using the Fugaku supercomputer—one of the fastest in the world—to simulate the behavior of the wind and optimize the layout of the park. Additionally, they are developing laser remote measurement LiDAR technology to read offshore weather with surgical precision. The State as an explorer. Curiously, the biggest driver of the project is not a private corporation, but the government itself. Given the fear of companies to assume the very high initial costs, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to act as an explorer. According to SCMPauthorities have tripled their budget for 2026 and will spend about 9 billion yen (about $56 million) on mapping the topography of the seafloor and studying wind patterns. The idea is to deliver this already processed information to contractors to seduce them and encourage them to participate in the tenders. Shadows and skepticism. Despite institutional enthusiasm, the path to 2035 is riddled with pitfalls and the private sector views the plan with undisguised caution. As the Japanese media recalls, corporate distrust has recent precedents: in 2025, the giant Mitsubishi Corp. abandoned important offshore wind projects in Akita and Chiba, citing the extreme complexity of the seabed, the escalation in material costs and the weakness of the yen. The calendar also raises doubts. Experts consulted by Interesting Engineering They call the 2035 goal “unrealistic”, recalling that these types of offshore megaprojects usually take more than a decade to come together and that, today, the Izu region is classified simply as a “preparation zone”, the earliest bureaucratic stage. The gigawatt trap. But are we talking about 1 real GW? Analysts cited by SCMP They warn that, although the installed capacity is 1 GW (similar to a nuclear reactor), the real performance of wind energy is around 40%, well below the 80-90% constant production offered by atomic energy. Finally, there is a systemic problem in the Japanese electricity grid itself. The IEEFA report denounces that the prioritization of nuclear energy baseload regulation by the central government has created a system so rigid that operators are often forced to disconnect and waste (curtailment) renewable energy produced in peak sun or wind. This waste undermines the profitability of any future park and scares away investors. Between utopia and the avant-garde. Izu’s “floating monster” encapsulates the great dilemma of contemporary Japan. On the one hand, it represents the zenith of the technological ambition of a nation willing to tame typhoons, preserve marine ecology and shield the energy survival of one of the largest megalopolises on the planet in the face of global crises and seismic cataclysms. On the other hand, it faces the cold reality of financial balance sheets, bureaucratic bottlenecks and a private sector scalded by inflation. If Tokyo can untangle this tangle, attract construction giants and fire up the turbines by 2035, the project will not only light up the Japanese capital; will become the definitive beacon for global deepwater wind energy. Otherwise, the Izu colossus runs the risk of remaining stuck forever as an expensive utopia on paper. Image | freepik Xataka | Spain does not wait for France: it is studying a huge submarine cable with distant Ireland to stop being an energy island

Iran’s Achilles heel is a tiny island located 25 km from its coast. The question is whether the US will dare to attack it

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Until practically the day before yesterday Kharg island It was unknown to the vast majority of Europeans. Normal. To begin with, because it is thousands of kilometers from the heart of the EU, in the Persian Gulf, about 25 kilometers from the Iranian coast. It’s not particularly big either. It measures about eight kilometers long and 4.5 km wide. Despite all that, Kharg is perhaps the point that attracts the most attention. is hoarding (from Europe, but also the United States, China and Russia) in the convulsive geopolitical board with which March has started. The reason: the island is the key link of the Iranian oil sector. In a place in the gulf… Kharg Island is not exactly big. It measures 22 km2. What it does not have in surface area, however, it makes up for with its location. Located just 25 km from the Iranian continental coast and a few hundred kilometers from Strait of Hormuzis a strategic point for the global oil industry. The reason: that tiny island channels almost all of the crude oil exported by Iran. And those are big words if we take into account that, according to OPEC calculations, it is estimated that the Islamic Republic has confirmed reserves of 208.6 billion barrelsalmost the 12% of the total world. Is it that important? Yes. Iran enjoys a strategic position that (among other things) allows it to control the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic point for the commercialization of Middle East oil. In fact, it is estimated that almost a fifth of the world’s crude oil and gas pass through that narrow strip of a few tens of kilometers. However, not all are advantages for Tehran. Most of the Iranian coastline is bathed by shallow waters that complicate the movement of oil tankers. To operate with them, companies need to rely on Khrag, an island equipped with deeper docks and which since the 60s has had a powerful infrastructure built with the help of the firm. Amoco. Today it is the largest terminal exporter of the country. A percentage: 90%. Kharg’s role is best understood by dealing with various data. The main one is the volume of merchandise that it channels. It is estimated that almost 90% of Iranian oil exports pass through there, a bottleneck through which black gold flows before being shipped to the Strait of Hormuz. It may seem like an exorbitant percentage, but the island has the necessary infrastructure to charge seven million of barrels daily. Added to this are underwater pipelines connected to the country’s oil fields, storage tanks and housing for the complex’s operators. In the spotlight. Khrag has become the key link in the Iranian oil trade, but it also represents a kind of ‘Achilles heel’. Hitting the island means hitting the Iranian oil industry squarely. It’s nothing new. In the 80s Kharg has already suffered Iraqi bombings. The big question on March 9, 2026, with the US and Israel attacking the Islamic Republic is… Does Washington have any plan that involves controlling the island in one way or another? It is not a whimsical question. The Israeli army already has attacked several crude oil deposits and an oil transfer center located in Tehran and Alborz. The Axios weekend wakefulness In addition, Israel and the US have discussed sending special forces to Iran for various purposes: the main one would be to secure uranium reserves, but Kharg would also be in their sights. Ground operation? However, it is one thing to attack oil deposits and another to invade the island. For a start, remembers CNBCbecause it would require going one step further in the offensive in Iran and undertaking a ground operation. A hypothetical attack could also add more volatility and uncertainty to the industry at a time when a barrel of oil has risen to around $100. In the last hours the Brent even it touched 120. Cutting off the tap. The maneuver would also have advantages for Washington and Tel Aviv, especially when it comes to putting pressure on Tehran. Petras Katinas, an expert in energy and defense, recalls that if the United States controlled the island it could cut off “the oil livelihood” of the Iranian regime. “Looking ahead, confiscation would give the US leverage during negotiations, regardless of which regime is in power once the military operation ends,” insist. “It would deal a severe blow to the regime, since it would deprive it of a crucial source of income,” adds Tamas Varga, an analyst at PVM, who draws a parallel between what happened in Iran and the US intervention in Venezuela. in january. Why doesn’t the US act? For several reasons. We mentioned two (fundamental) before. Experts point out that taking Kharg would require a ground operation. And that, among other issues, could lead to even more instability in the region and the oil market at a delicate time. “Kharg could focus a multi-week attack campaign with Iranian drones and the island has mines and soldiers,” remember Marc Gustafson, who warns that an intervention of this type would not be without risks for the United States. He even mentions the possibility that, if the situation escalates, Iran will destroy its oil pipelines. One island, many drifts. If the US and Israel decide to comply with Kharg, Tehran could also see legitimacy to hit the oil infrastructure of other Gulf countries. That’s not counting, insists Michael Doran (from the Hudson Institute) in that it could complicate the post-war Iranian economy and the stability of any new government that takes the reins of Iran once the war ends. Images | Google Earth and Wikipedia In Xataka | Satellite images have revealed that Iran knocked down four of the US’s eight unique defense systems. If they reach zero a new war begins

Great white sharks are appearing off the Alicante coast. The problem is that we don’t know if it’s good news or bad news.

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On April 20, 2023, by pure chance, some fishermen caught a juvenile-sized white shark. No one would have been surprised if it weren’t for the fact that the fishermen were in Spanish waters, right in front of the Alicante Cape of La Nao. Two meters 10 centimeters of white shark in the middle of the Mediterranean, what was happening here? Do we have to worry? That is the question that was asked at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography and, in collaboration with the University of Cádiz, has carried out a deep review of the presence of white sharks in the Mediterranean Sea. It is not something superficial: they have collected all the records (direct and indirect) from 1862 to 2023 and have reached a surprising conclusion. The presence of this type of specimen has been “persistent” (although “extremely rare”) in the Spanish Mediterranean. It is not something, a priori, worrying. As explained José Carlos Báezresearcher at the IEO-CSIC, “we have only found two attacks: one in 1862, in which a person died in Malaga who was swimming, and another in the eighties, when a shark bit a surfer’s board in Tarifa and caused serious injuries.” But the problem is not that. And, although “with the available data, it is not possible to affirm that the Mediterranean white shark population is recovering”, it is inevitable to think about what will happen in an increasingly warmer sea. In the end, “the presence of young individuals provides key information about the demographic structure of the species” and, one way or anotherthis leads us to seriously consider the risks of having breeding spaces in Spanish waters. However, everything seems to indicate that there is a relationship between the presence of the shark and the routes of the bluefin tuna. If so, it would be another symptom of the problems that sharks have to keep their populations healthy and robust. Should we worry? It doesn’t seem like it. Against the media angle about the “return of the monster”, international evidence tells us that attacks are extremely rare and the role of sharks in the conservation of aquatic ecosystems is very important. Be that as it may, monitoring and conservation programs must be developed. And it has to be done soon. Image | Oleksandr Sushko In Xataka | The white shark is an exceptional swimmer. Its secret is in its “teeth”

The sale of a 22 million euro mansion moves the axis of luxury on the Andalusian coast: to Sotogrande

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The price of housing in Spain it doesn’t stop going upbut this unstoppable increase has not been a brake on closing the most expensive real estate sale in Andalusia. That the mansion protagonist of the unusual record have your own name It is already an indicator of the economic level to which this home points: Niwa, a mansion in Sotograndehas closed for more than 22 million euros. To put it in perspective, that price implies that its new owner has paid about 5,116 euros for each of the 4,300 meters built of this property. Taking into account that the average price in the province of Cádiz is about 2,249 euros/m2, places the operation at levels of the price of homes in premium areas of the big cities.​ Niwa: 4,300 m2 of sustainable luxury Niwa is located in The Seven, the most exclusive sector of the already exclusive luxury development The Sotogrande Reserve. The property occupies a 10,000 m2 plot on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean and facing Gibraltar, surrounded by the Los Alcornocales Natural Park.​ The mansion consists of 4,300 m2 built, distributed in nine suites, with an outdoor infinity pool, an indoor covered pool, spa, gym, cinema room, wine cellar and garage for eight cars. The project came from the pencils of Manuel Ruiz of ARK Architects and was carried out with construction techniques more advanced and sustainable with the environment since 95% of its structure was prefabricated in a factory and then assembled in the chosen location. This allowed us to reduce the impact on the environment and reduce emissions.​ Sotogrande began its development in the early 60’s as a private residential area with 24 hour security. It currently has five golf courses and is considered one of the most luxurious urbanizations and exclusive to southern Europe, which attracts foreign buyers for its designer mansions, its privacy and its proximity to exclusive services. In 2024, the average sales prices of their houses reached 1.9 million euros, with transactions reaching up to 17 million euros. Some of the new construction phases that were started were sold at 85% in phases such as Village Verde. Plots in the most exclusive areas of Sotogrande, such as The 15, start at three million euros, while in The Seven, where Niwa is located, they can exceed eight million euros per plot. “Over the last ten years, Sotogrande has invested in its facilities, maintaining its essence as a low-density, high-quality destination. It is very exciting to see how this positioning is increasingly relevant for our clients,” assured in statements to The Confidential Rita Jordão, Marketing Director of Sotogrande SA. Luxury moves south “The sale of NIWA marks the beginning of a new era for Sotogrande, where architecture and lifestyle multiply their value on the Costa del Sol and, I would dare say, on the entire Mediterranean coast. NIWA is a modern palace reinterpreted with a contemporary language that is situated halfway between the classic and the current, with a very special materiality,” confirmed its creator, pointing to a substantial change in the preferences of ultra-rich clients who seek to settle in Andalusia. Given the growth in popularity of these new luxury enclaveshistoric luxury areas, such as Marbella, are losing relevance after decades of urban pressure, and foreign buyers They have begun to set their sights on Sotogrande. “The record sale of NIWA firmly consolidates Sotogrande as a destination among the best in the world. What is happening is not a change of course, but a natural consequence of what Sotogrande offers is increasingly valued in the luxury market,” confirmed Jordão. In Xataka | A businessman built a mega mansion without permission: the neighbors have gotten the city council to demolish it Image | ARK Architects

A Russian submarine has appeared off the coast of France. And Europe’s reaction has been surprising: have a laugh

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August 2025. After learning through satellite images that the Russian nuclear submarine base had been was damaged After an earthquake, Ukraine leaked all the secrets of Moscow’s most advanced submarine, including its failures. Now, two months later, one of them has appeared off the coast of France. And, instead of fear, Europe has been amused. The silence broken. For days, NATO radars followed the strange figure of a Russian submarine that, instead of slipping secretly under the sea, clumsily advanced on the surface. Was Novorossiyska Kilo-class diesel-electric of the Black Sea Fleet, one of the few assets that still maintained Moscow’s flag in the Mediterranean. His march was slow and visible, accompanied by French, British and Dutch ships that escorted him with the same mix of caution and curiosity with which an injured animal is observed. For the Atlantic Alliance, that voyage was more than just a naval anomaly: it was a exhaustion signa reflection of what remains of Russian maritime power after three and a half years of war, sanctions and irreparable losses. Adrift. The official Moscow version It was immediate. According to the Black Sea Fleet, the Novorossiysk was sailing on the surface simply to comply with international standards when crossing the English Channel. But allied intelligence reports and leaks on Russian security channels painted a different picture: a damaged submarine, with a possible fuel leak, forced to surface repeatedly and, according to some reportseven to empty flooded compartments. The presence of a tugboat, he Yakov Grebelskiyreinforced that suspicion. For NATO commanders, the image of an attack ship “limping” toward its base was not only a metaphor for a technical breakdown, but the demonstration how Russian naval machinery is rusting in the eyes of the world. From Tartus to the Mediterranean. Until a few years ago, Russia maintained a permanent force in the Mediterranean, anchored in the Syrian base of Tartusits strategic bastion in the region. From there it projected power towards the Middle East and North Africa, protecting energy routes and monitoring Western transit. But the fall of the regime of Bashar al Assad in 2024 erased that balance in one fell swoop. With the new Syrian government, Moscow lost its last platform safe outside the Black Sea. Today, how he ironized NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, “there is hardly any Russian presence left in the Mediterranean: just a lonely, broken submarine returning from patrol.” The decline is not measured in the number of sunken ships, but in the disappearance of an entire naval projection doctrine. The laughs. In his speech at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Slovenia, Rutte was so precise as biting. “What a change from Tom Clancy’s novel The Hunt for Red October, he said. Today, more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic.” The phrase, celebrated among the attendees, synthesized the new allied narrative: humor and joke as a language of power. Making fun of your opponent, taking away the mystique of their strength, is also a way of undermining their influence. Behind the irony, however, there was a geopolitical calculation. Rutte remembered the multiple Russian provocations in the last few months (drones over Europe, sabotage of underwater cables, failed plots, cyber attacks and instability in Finland and Poland), and warned that Moscow retains the capacity to inconvenience, although its military muscle has been reduced to symbolic gestures and worn-out threats. The invisible collapse. The Novorossiysk debacle It is not an isolated case. Since 2022, Ukraine has managed to destroy or disable more than thirty of Russian vessels with anti-ship missiles and marine drones. The losses have forced the Kremlin to withdraw a large part of its fleet from Sevastopol and move it to Novorossiysk, on the eastern coast of the sea, to avoid new attacks. That strategic refuge, paradoxically, bears the same name as the damaged submarine that is now trying to reach it. What was a symbol of supremacy in the Soviet era has become a floating cemetery of incomplete projects and demoralized crews. Mirror of war. If you like, the episode from Novorossiysk transcends the anecdotal. It represents the convergence of all fronts where Russia is wasting away: the military, the economic, the technological and the symbolic. Its fleet, once the second in the world, now depends on units that they age without spare partsas Ukraine innovates with drones that cost a fraction of its missiles. And NATO, aware of this, has learned to transform its silent victories in public stories that erode the perception of Russian invulnerability. The image of Novorossiysk advancing in the sight of everyone, towed and watched, it is the perfect image if you want to degrade an empire that can no longer hide its weaknesses. From shadow to emptiness. In the years of the Cold War, Soviet submarines were the silent terror of the Atlantic. Today, his most visible heir is a damaged ship that sails with the flag raised so as not to sink. This passage from shadow to void explains better than any report the real state of the Russian navy. What was previously feared, is now observed even with sarcasm, and what previously inspired respect, now provokes a mocking headline. In this transit we measure, according to Europe, the decline of a power and the rise of a Western communication strategy that no longer needs to confront directly to win. It is enough to unintentionally let the enemy show his shipwreck. And have a few laughs. Image | BORN In Xataka | Russia’s most advanced nuclear submarine was a secret. Until Ukraine has revealed everything, including its failures In Xataka | A ghost fleet has mapped the entire underwater structure of the EU. The question is what Moscow is going to do with that information.

The coast of Huelva has been touristed for decades. Now one of its last virgin areas will become a megaurbanization

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“With more than 130 hectares next to the Pinares de Cartaya, it aims to become one of the main urban developments in Andalusia, creating a residential and leisure center in one of the most unique enclaves of the Andalusian Atlantic.” The phrase is part of the presentation of ‘Saggita El Rompido Living Club’, a real estate mega project that a Basque developer is promoting on the coast of Andalusia, on the second line of the Huelva coast and where there is now extensive trees. The initiative has already aroused the suspicion of politicians and environmentalists who warn that it will pervert one of the few remaining virgin areas on the coast of Huelva. What has happened? That Huelva is preparing for a radical transformation of the environment The Brokenin the municipality of Cartaya. There the Loiola company plans to promote a macro urban project with hundreds of homesvillas, a golf course, hotel accommodation, swimming pools and a commercial area. An extensive development that will extend throughout 130 ha in an environment that, like presume the promoter itself, represents “a privileged enclave between marshes, ocean and pine forests.” What do you want to do? They have named the project Saggite“arrow”, in Latin, a nod to one of the most characteristic places in the area: the Broken Arrowa wide sandy formation that stretches for about ten kilometers parallel to the coast. The promoter has several ideas in mind: a golf course, several hotelsa commercial area and above all generate residential offer. Specifically, on his website he talks about two projects: Sagitta Silvawith 128 homes (106 multi-family apartments and another 22 single-family homes) and Sagitta Navisa complex of 18 semi-detached houses with four bedrooms spread over two floors. Is there more? Yes. The Rompido Living Club does not stop there. When promoting the project, those responsible they talk of a huge residential and leisure center of 130 hectares with 800 exclusive homes (in some media they talk about 1,000), to which places for tourists and swimming pools will be added, “one of the main developments urban developments of Andalusia”. To complete it, the company claims that Sagitta Living Club will cover some 522,600 square meters of green areas. Is it just a project? No. In August 2024 Environment awarded the Unified Environmental Authorization for “Nuevo Rompido Este” in order to develop the land and pave the way so that it can accommodate homes, hotels, the golf course and the shopping center. Months later, in November, Ecologists in Action warned that work had already begun on the ground, with “the dismantling of the rich and varied vegetation of the Mediterranean forest” in the area and excavators and trucks removing bushes. The latest news about the project reached early summerwhen Loiola began marketing the first 150 homes in your residential complex. In the promotional information published on those dates it was stated that the works would start before the end of this year to have them lists in 2027. Perfect, right? Not everyone thinks so. The macroproject has the planning permission of Cartaya and the Junta de Andalucía has also given the green light to the urbanization of 1.3 million of square meters. THE complex even snuck into the presentation carried out last year by the City Council at FITUR. That does not mean that Sagitta has unanimous support. There are those who have warned of its impact on the environment, both environmentally and socially. For example, Izquierda Unida crosses out the “monstrosity” and warns of its effects. Why’s that? “It will double the population of El Rompido at once, destroying a forest of pine, juniper and other protected vegetation and exposing this nucleus, which already suffers serious problems such as periodic water cuts of up to 24 hours, to unsustainable urban tension.” I insisted a few months ago David F. Calderón, spokesperson for Izquierda Unida in the Cartaya City Council. In his opinion, the megaproject suffers from “serious legal loopholes” and “puts at risk the ecological balance and carrying capacity of the territory in a high-value area.” “El Rompido, one of the coastal towns in Andalusia where housing has become more expensive in the last decade, does not need more luxury homes, nor more hotels, nor more golf courses, but rather social housing that allows youth to continue living in their town,” Calderón stressed. The project focuses on the northwest of El Rompido, in a space located 800 meters from the beach. Is it the only critical voice? The answer is again no. One of the most critical voices of the project has been that of Ecologistas en Acción. And not only because in November warned of the arrival of machinery to the area, initiating “the destruction of (a) space with important natural values.” Since then has insisted in that the 130 hectares of the complex represent land “of extremely high biodiversity and environmental wealth” and that the project itself is “the greatest example of unsustainable, illegal and predatory urban planning on the Andalusian coastline.” Hence, the environmental association has filed a contentious-administrative appeal and requested a precautionary suspension. His main argument: the alleged risk of causing “very serious and irreversible” damage to the territory. “The works involve destroying a substantial part of the environmental values ​​of this privileged enclave, with serious consequences for protected fauna and taxa.” What does the promoter say? In your advertisingthe company highlights that the promotion will seek “environmental, social and economic sustainability”, which includes, among other issues, measures to minimize the carbon and water impact or the preservation of biodiversity. It also highlights that the Sagitta Living Club complex will include more than 522,000 m2 of green areas, a large area that will play a key role in the complex. The environmental authorization actually recognizes that there are protected plants in the environment, but their future is clear because they will be located in the free spaces left by the megaurbanization. Images | Loiola and Ecologists in Action In Xataka | There is a virgin beach in … Read more

The man who crossed Africa from coast to coast for the first time in a 4×4

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In 1884, The diverse African continent It was distributed among the European powers as if it were a cake. The Berlin Conference regulated the colonization of Africa and established which country stayed with each portion. Germany stayed with a good piece of the continent and, although it lost everything after the World War Ithere is something that no one can snatch them: having been the first to demonstrate the reliability of the first cars “4×4”. The feat? Simple: Crossing Africa from coast to coast on a trip of about 10,000 kilometers through unknown territories for the car. The adventure begins. The protagonist of this story is called Paul Graetz. He was a German officer who, between 1902 and 1904, served as a lieutenant in German Eastern Africa. After a brief return to his homeland, 1907 returned to Africa with a goal: to find a route between what was German and Africa Africa of the Southwest German (which is currently Tanzania and Namibia) to establish a motorized connection. A direct route between the two territories (each in a different coast) would allow a better economic development and, therefore, a benefit for those German regions. Thus, he got to work to devise a route that was from Dar-Es-Salam (Tanzania) to Swakopmund (Namibia). It would not be easy, since it would be necessary to cross mountains, deserts, jungles, savannas and rivers in an unexplored territory for the car. All this, obviously, without having roads or roads. Basically, he would make his way. The problem was, evidently, the car itself. The car. It was the first challenge of the trip because, if it would be something complicated for the best 4×4 current, for a great -grandfather of 1907, imagine. That is why he did not use a conventional car, but one made “custom”. Graetz began to contact several companies and-heard air-it was the Süddeutsche Automobil-Fabrik Gaggenau who accepted the challenge. They only existed from 1905 to 1910 and subsequently became part of Benz & Cie (which, in turn, became Daimler-Benz Agbetter known as Mercedes-Benz), and what they did was to modify one of their numerous models for the conditions it would find in Africa. Chassis made to measure with an elevation of 35 centimeters on the standard of the time to circulate through complicated territories. The elevation was achieved with wooden blocks. A four -cylinder engine and a power of 35 hp. Two gas tanks for long marches: one 250 liters in the rear and another forward with another 125/145 liters. “Mortital” and reinforced body to transport heavy loads. Wooden wheels, eye, with a diameter of 1,120 mm and a width of 120 mm. The wood for certain components may seem a barrabasada, but it was the technology of the time. It had a large storage capacity due to size, the interior could be transformed into a bedroom (with mosquito net and everything) and had oil lamps to drive in the dark. Issues. We cannot say that Süddeutsche Automobil-Fabrik Gaggenau did not give Gracez a good ‘car’, but the problems would soon appear. The expedition (basically, Graetz) departed on August 10, 1907. The tests for the car had been done in Germany, so both the driver and the vehicle would enter ‘Terra Incognita’. The rain was a problem and forced to improvise a metal reinforcement (the first wheels with chain), remained stuck in dunes, gasoline evaporated and even had to wear the car by boat during a section of Lake Tanganika. The worst was mechanics. The one of Graetz the only one in colonial Germany and a rare Avis in thousands of kilometers around the engine so, when the engine had a breakdown, he was forced to wait three months for the spare parts to arrive. In addition, there were no mechanics, so they learned on the march to repair it. It is believed that it has a C15 “Gut Gemacht, Graetz”As it may be, about 630 days later and With about 10,000 kilometers on the counterthe German explorer and his car managed to reach Swakopmund. It was on May 1, 1909 and Kaisewr Guillermo II himself congratulated him with a telegram that was not too effusive. “Gut Gemacht, Graetz”, which becomes a “good job, Graetz.” In that congratulation I should have included the hundreds of collaborators that the explorer had during his journey, but we already know how these things are going. History. The feat was followed by the press and was seen as an example of the industrial and power advances of the new engines and vehicles against nature. Currently, that first 4×4, that deeply modified vehicle that allowed an adventurer to cross Africa from coast to coast more than a century ago, is a piece of a museum and a reminder that, perhaps, was the first Road Trip of history. The bug of exploration was still within Graetz and only one year later, in 1911, he launched A second expedition with the aim of traveling the Bangweulusee river from Mozambique to the Atlantic in a motor boat of more than eight meters. On this occasion, he took a filmmaker with him that he captured some images, but after an attack of a buffalo, the filmmaker died and Graetz was seriously injured. The images were considered ‘Lost Media’ for almost a century, but in 2007 they were found in the basement of the Gracez’s own house, and part are the ones you can see just about this paragraph. It is clear that explorer is born, it is not done, and since everything has to be capitalized, There are tours to emulate the route of the German explorer. Images | Mercedes-Benz, Paul Graetz In Xatala | The US needed to confuse the Nazis in World War II. So it deployed airplanes and lie tanks

An Atlantic trough looks out to the Mediterranean coast

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Autumn has arrived and does it hard. So much so that the Mediterranean coast begins to prepare for an intense episode of rainfall. The culprit (at least in part) is a Atlantic trough that travels the peninsula. Extreme risk.This situation has led to the State Meteorology Agency (AEMET) to Issue several noticesincluding numerous orange warnings due to important risk and two red notices due to extreme risk. The latter affect a good part of the province of Tarragona, specifically in the southern prelitral and in the southern coast of the Catalan province. Accumulated rainfall is expected to reach 90 mm in an hour. The red notices will take effect at 15:00 and end at 9:00 p.m., but it must be taken into account that orange notices will last in this area throughout today, as well as during part of tomorrow. Beyond Tarragona. Aemet yellow and orange notices extend by almost the entire Levante, also covering interior areas, such as the areas of Gúdar and the teacher; Hellín and Almansa; or the safe basin, among others. Yellow and orange notices not only alert the risk derived from rains but also storm risk. As of tomorrow, orange notices will also reach the Balearic Islands. What is happening? The agency itself Explain in an informative note that the origin of this event is in an Atlantic trough that Since yesterday we travel our territory. This trough, they explain will originate “a growing instability in the Mediterranean area” during the first days of this week. However, extreme rains will be the result of the interaction between this trough and “the formation of a bosom of low pressures between the southeast Peninsular and Balearic Islands.” This new formation, continues to explain Aemet, will cause a “wet flow of the east” that will spread through the Mediterranean area. “The presence of high humidity at low levels together with thermal and dynamic instability, will propitiate the formation of showers and intense storms, in areas of the Eastern Peninsular and Balearic Islands,” concludes the agency in its informative note. Uncertainty. There is a remarkable uncertainty about the future of this extreme phenomenon, although the models indicate that the situation will come between today and tomorrow, improving from Wednesday. It should be remembered that the notices derived from the situation will still affect the Balearic Islands, so it is convenient to be aware of the evolution of the trough. In Xataka | Google has demonstrated with its AI that the prediction of storms and hurricanes is outdated. This is how your new model works Image | ECMWF / Aemet

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