defend

In 1958 France drew up a nuclear plan to defend Europe without the US. Now you want to activate it with a name: “archipelago of power”

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In western France, off the coast of Brittany, there is a naval base practically invisible to the public where some of the quietest submarines on the planet are hidden. Each of them can spend months under the ocean without being detected and carry missiles capable of traveling thousands of kilometers. Since the 1960s, at least one of these submarines has been permanently patrolling in secret, ready to act in a matter of minutes if the order comes. The return of an old idea. In 1958, Charles de Gaulle made a decision that would mark French defense policy for decades: develop a nuclear deterrent completely independent of the United States. The logic was simple but radical for your time. Although Washington was an indispensable ally, its interests did not always have to coincide with those of Europe, and in an extreme crisis the continent could be left unprotected. Since then, the French nuclear doctrine has maintained a deliberate ambiguity about which countries or territories come inside of the “vital interests” that would justify a nuclear response. That idea, conceived in the middle of the Cold War as a guarantee of strategic sovereignty, returns today to the center of debate European in a context of uncertainty about the American commitment to the defense of the continent. From ambiguity to deterrence. Now, President Emmanuel Macron has decided to turn that strategic tradition into a concrete proposal. Under the concept “advance deterrence”France proposes for the first time deploying elements of its nuclear force on the territory of European allied countries, participating with them in strategic exercises and coordinating more closely the nuclear protection of the continent. The proposal represents a step beyond the classic French ambiguity: although arms control would remain exclusively in the hands of the French president, his presence or training in other countries would send a direct signal that the French nuclear umbrella can extend beyond its borders. A nuclear archipelago in Europe. The operational concept that Paris is exploring is based on disperse part of your deterrence strategic throughout Europe. In practice it could involve temporary deployments of Rafale fighters capable of carrying nuclear weapons in allied countriesstrategic patrols or joint exercises that integrate conventional forces from other European states into the French deterrence system. Macron has described that network as a kind of “archipelago of power”, designed to complicate the calculation of any potential adversary. Although France would maintain absolute control over the use of weapons, the physical presence of these means in different parts of the continent would reinforce the credibility of the deterrent message. Eight countries begin to move. The media reported this week that the initiative has ceased to be a simple strategic hypothesis and is beginning to take political shape. Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Greece and Finland they already participate in talks with Paris to explore different levels of cooperation on nuclear deterrence. Some of these countries are studying participating in French strategic exercises, while others are analyzing the possible temporary deployment of French nuclear capabilities on their territory. In any case, this turn reflects a profound change in the European attitude: for decades, most governments avoided seriously discussing any alternative to the US nuclear umbrella. The factor that changes everything. What has transformed the scenario is both the French proposal and the geopolitical context convulsed. Of course, there they appear first of all the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s accelerated rearmament and doubts about the United States’ military commitment to Europe, all issues that have forced many governments to rethink the continent’s security architecture. Donald Trump’s return to the White House and his rhetoric about reducing the American role in European defense have ended accelerate that reflection French that seems to be reaching several members of the continent. In this climate, the old Paris doctrine (which for decades seemed like a vestige of the Cold War) is beginning to be perceived as a possible centerpiece of a more autonomous European deterrence. A limited but deterrent arsenal. France has around 290-300 nuclear warheads deployed in strategic submarines and combat aircraft, an arsenal much smaller than that of major nuclear powers such as the United States, Russia or China. However, French doctrine does not seek numerical parity, but rather the ability to inflict “unacceptable” damage to any aggressor. That logic is the basis of the concept nuclear deterrent: It is enough for the adversary to believe the possibility of a devastating response is credible for the attack to become too risky. With the new strategy, Paris aims to demonstrate that this principle can be extended beyond its territory and become, for the first time explicitly, one of the pillars of European security. Image | US Navy In Xataka | In the midst of the Cold War, France designed a nuclear rearmament plan for Europe. Now it’s loud again In Xataka | France and the United Kingdom have reached a curious agreement: to merge their nuclear arsenal if someone threatens Europe

A century ago Denmark built an island to defend its capital. Now it is full of tourists and is sold for ten million

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The world has started 2026 slope of an island linked to the Kingdom of Denmark, but Greenland is not the only island dependent on Copenhagen that makes headlines. In it Øresund Strait There is a small Danish island that in recent weeks has also sparked interest due to its history, status and (above all) ownership. His name is Flakfortet and in this case, unlike Greenland, there would be no problem with Donald Trump controlling it. Of course, first you would need to go through the cash register and pay 10 million euros. The reason: Flakfortet is actually an old military fortification built on an artificial island and in private hands that has just gone up for sale. What has happened? that the Danish real estate market has incorporated an unconventional piece: a maritime fort built on an artificial island. That’s what they advertise on their page. Lintrup & Norgarta Danish firm specialized in real estate that for a few weeks advertise the sale of the Flakfortet fortress, located in the Øresund Strait. The property is offered for 74.5 million of Danish crowns, equivalent to about 10 million dollars. “The island has modern facilities and historic structures and is visited by thousands of people each year,” highlights the agency. The announcement has attracted the attention of media outlets such as the German newspaper Bildthe specialized medium Yacht or the Danish public broadcaster TV2which specifies that the complex reaches 30,000 square meters (m2) and there are around 10,000 built. Among its facilities, the island includes a large marina and a heliport. But what is Flakfortet? A vestige of the First World War. And a huge and picturesque reminder of the turbulent start of the 20th century. Flakfortet is a maritime fortress built on Saltholmrevan artificial island built from tons and tons of stone, concrete and sand in the Saltholm Strait. In fact, it is located between saltholm island and Copenhagen. Flakfortet was not the result of a whim or megalomania. It was promoted at the beginning of the 20th century, after the Defense Agreement of 1909 with which an attempt was made to improve the fortifications (land and sea) that protect Copenhagen from enemy attacks. To be more exact, his works were developed between 1910 and 1916. And what was it used for? The idea was to shield neighboring Copenhagen by sea. Hence, Flakfortet was projected as a true fort, capable of hosting around half a thousand soldiers and equipped with powerful cannons. Danmarks Nationalleksikon remember which in its day was equipped with howitzers, half a dozen cannons and anti-aircraft artillery. However, its role during the two great conflagrations of the last century was rather modest. In fact, the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, with the project still uncompleted, frustrated the plans to equip it with modern howitzers. In the 40s it was occupied by the Wehrmacht and in the 50s it returned to Danish hands, although without much success. At the end of that same decade it closed as a naval anti-aircraft fort and during part of the 1960s it hosted the HAWK 541 Squadron of the Danish Air Force. Over time it was rented to the Copenhagen Sailing Union and was converted into a marina in the 1970s. And in recent decades? His military past is behind him. After the Danish army decided to abandon the fort the weapons were dismantled and the casemates abandoned. As the 20th century progressed, the soldiers gave way to sailors who arrived aboard sailboats, tourists and history lovers fascinated by the fortification’s past. The next major chapter of his chronicle was written in 2021, when Denmark sold the island to Malmökranen AB, a Swedish company that acquired it for around 400,000 euros. It may not seem like a lot of money, but the company had to invest significantly more to remodel the facilities and modernize its services, which includes a restaurant, a desalination plant that supplies the island with drinking water, and generators. These improvements, added to a ferry service that connected the island with Copenhagen and the interest aroused by the fort’s military past, explain why Flakfortet attracted up to 50,000 visitors in high season. Good business, right? If we ask Malmökranen right now, the business seems to involve more the sale of the island than its direct management. And it’s not something new. In 2015 the complex already looked for a buyer without much success. More than a decade later, its owners have decided to try again, asking for even more money for facilities that have a port and heliport. The agency in charge of the sale wait that the island will attract the interest of specialized investment firms or millionaires looking for a “secluded and quiet” property. Nor do they rule out that the Danish State itself decides to recover Flakfortet because it considers it “a critical infrastructure” and its location. If it is finally an individual who takes over its reins, they should keep in mind that they cannot do whatever they want with the old fort: since 2002 It is considered a historical monument, so any significant work must have the OK of Heritage. The island must also remain open to the public. Images | Wikipedia and Google Earth In Xataka | China has been dumping tons of sand into the ocean for 12 years. And now we are seeing islands emerging in the middle of nowhere

It is one thing to support the US, quite another to defend Taiwan

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The latest diplomatic outbreak between China and Japan It does not seem to arise from an isolated gesture, but from a profound change in Tokyo’s strategic perception of the Taiwan Strait and Japan’s increasingly central role within the regional security architecture. The problem now is that China has forced it to make clear a position that until now it had found in the ambiguity the perfect setting. An archipelago between two fires. The statement of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, suggesting that a Chinese blockade or attack on the island could constitute a situation existential threat for Japan, it immediately upset the fine balance of strategic ambiguity that Tokyo had maintained for years. His comment put into official words for the first time something that Japanese security teams were discussing privately. for decades: that, in certain circumstances, Japan could be forced to act alongside the United States in a war scenario around Taiwan, not to defend the island as such, but to preserve the sea routes, energy supplies and American bases that guarantee the survival of Japan itself. That nuance, normally invisible to the general public, is what triggered the Beijing reactionwhich interpreted the statement not as a technical analysis, but like a hint that Japan could intervene militarily in an area that China considers strictly internal. The clash and diplomacy. Beijing’s response was immediate and forcefuldeploying a full range of instruments of pressure designed to punish, intimidate and isolate Tokyo. China issued warnings to students and tourists to They will avoid Japan alleging alleged security risks, suspended diplomatic meetings, delayed film premieres, patrols intensified of its Coast Guard in disputed waters and raised the tone of the propaganda discourse, recalling the war of the past to underline its current military superiority. The intention was clear: send a message internal and external that any questioning of his stance on Taiwan will carry an immediate cost. However, the virulence of the reaction generated a double effect. On the one hand, it fueled a growing sense in Japanese society that China systematically uses economic and diplomatic punishment to shape the behavior of others. On the other hand, it reinforced within the Japanese Government the idea that Chinese pressure is not going to decrease and that the only viable response is through strengthen alliances military and preparation for real contingencies. Sanae Takaichi And more. The division of Japanese public opinion reflects this tension: approximately half of society believes that Japan should intervene in a scenario of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, and the other half fear that any involvement would plunge the country into a catastrophic conflict. Meanwhile, the Chinese state machinery intensifies a warning message which, far from universally intimidating, is prompting growing accusations of diplomatic harassment by Tokyo and calls to further strengthen deterrence. The United States has conducted multiple tests of the Typhon system, which includes four trailer-mounted launchers and support equipment capable of firing Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles. USA and the military board. In this context of escalation, the sudden withdrawal by the United States of the system of Typhon missiles temporarily deployed at the Iwakuni base adds an extra layer to the puzzle. Its initial presence, capable of launching Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles with a range sufficient to hit critical targets in eastern China, had unleashed worry in Beijing and Moscow, which interpreted its deployment as a preview of a network of US land-based missiles in the Indo-Pacific after the end of the INF treaty. The official goal was to conduct rapid transition testing in the event of war, but it also represented a explicit demonstration that Japan is a key piece in the US containment strategy. His withdrawal, just when China intensifies retaliation against Tokyo, does not reduce tension: it shows the flexibility with which Washington repositions its pieces and its intention to keep Beijing in permanent uncertainty. Japan, in turn, finds itself increasingly at the center of a strategic dilemma: it depends on American security umbrella for its survival, but the price of that dependence is that any crisis in the Taiwan Strait automatically becomes a Japanese domestic matter. The strategic ambiguity. The episode has shaken the guiding principle of security policies in East Asia: the strategic ambiguity. The United States avoids explicitly compromising its reaction to a Chinese attack so as not to offer certainty to Beijing or Taipei, while Japan had tried to align its position without standing out. Takaichi’s words break that ambiguity, even though he later insisted that they did not imply a doctrinal change. In doing so, they reveal the evolution of a country that has left behind the absolute caution of the post-war and that, faced with the real possibility of a high-intensity conflict in its neighborhood, begins to assume that its security can no longer be separated of a possible war over Taiwan. For Beijing, this transformation It’s disturbing: a more assertive Japan, more integrated into the US military framework and more willing to act preventively modifies the strategic equation in the entire region. For Tokyo, on the other hand, the current crisis illustrates precisely why trying to ease tensions with China does not avoid its pressureand why maintaining decision-making capacity and room for maneuver involves reinforcing its autonomy and military cooperation. The fragile balance. Taken together, the sequence reflects a turning point. China wants deter Japan through immediate punishment, and Japan wants deter China showing that it will not be intimidated, as the United States adjusts discreetly his presenceremembering that its military power will be decisive in any scenario. For its part, Taiwan becomes the axis around which the stability of Northeast Asia revolves. The result is a more tense, more transparent and dangerous balance than in previous years. A balance in which the words of a prime minister, the oversized reaction of a neighboring power and the apparently technical movement of a missile system they intertwine to reveal an uncomfortable truth: that the region is moving towards a stage where a misinterpreted gesture has the potential to … Read more

The best-selling car in Spain is the Dacia Sandero. And we are teaming up with France to defend the jump to electric cars

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Rarely can it be said that France and Spain are teaming up to achieve the same objective. At the same time They torpedo themselves as much as they can on the high speed railway or what they face each other directly because of the energetic connectionsthe electric car seems to have united the two countries. At the same time that the European Union seems to be cracking regarding its positions on the electric car, France and Spain have not hesitated in positioning itself to defend possible modifications to a regulation led by Germany. The Germans are pushing to open the door to combustion engines and countries like Italy seem convinced that it is the way to go. However, from Spain we have put many efforts to electrify our industrywe are embracing a good part of the models that should power Europeans in the coming years. France has also done everything possible to embrace the technology that, until recently, almost all of Europe defended as the best for the future. What is being played? The eternal and convoluted European bureaucracy In 2023, European countries They voted to ban combustion engines from 2035. The ban left almost any technology that did not rely on electric or hydrogen out of play. First of all, we must understand what the European Union roadmap is. The plan is to drastically reduce the volume of emissions from heavy and light transport. Among the measures proposed, 2025 should be the year from which manufacturers would receive a fine of 95 euros for each car sold and for each gram of CO2/km exceeded in their average emissions at the end of the year. This has not been fulfilled and the manufacturers, who They expected billion-dollar fineswill be accountable in 2027 taking as reference the average emissions for the period 2025-2027. That is, if everything remains the same, whoever does not comply in this year 2025 must compensate in the coming years. From 2030, the emissions limit is drastically reduced. The 49.5 gr/km of CO2 raised They leave any car with a combustion engine that is not highly electrified in the lurch. In fact, with the changes approved for plug-in hybrids, their sale is not a great guarantee when it comes to lowering emissions. Reducing these involves, yes or yes, selling electric cars. And when 2035 arrives, cars with combustion engines that emit CO2 will not be able to be sold. This is important. The original wording spoke of “polluting emissions” and was finally changed to “CO2 emissions”. This makes sense because a fuel cell car can generate some polluting emissions in its electrolysis process but does not emit CO2. The first draft left everything that was not electric out of the market. Finally, it was approved that cars with combustion engines will be prohibited from emitting CO2. But also the door was left open to e-fuels or synthetic fuels. These fuels trap CO2 for their production, so it is considered that the emissions produced in the engine are being compensated. Europe still has to debate whether to finally approve the proposal that would allow these cars to be sold. The intention is that, if approved, these cars They will only be able to circulate with e-fuels and they must have sensors to prevent them from operating with traditional fuels or a mixture of synthetic and traditional fuels. But, in addition, the 2023 approval in which the ban on selling cars with combustion engines was confirmed already included the obligation to present a report before December 31, 2026 by the European Commission reporting on the progress that was being made. This report has been brought forward to 2025 and it is being studied. It will depend on him whether, finally, any type of modification is carried out. Europe divided Faced with this situation, Europe is divided. Despite the votes and the fact that the regulations should be firm, countries such as Germany and Italy and manufacturers are pushing for the current ban on combustion engines not to be maintained as drafted in 2035. Spain and France have presented a document in which they reaffirm their position in defense of the current prohibitions. This comes after the European Commission confirmed that will advance the review at the end of this year of the current state of the regulations, which can open the door to modifications and more lax regulations. In it document They reject favoring the use of plug-in hybrids since they consider that they emit more polluting particles than those reflected in the current tests and assure that “subterfuges should not be enabled that allow us to escape the ‘zero emissions’ objective for 2035”, in words collected by EFE. The document is, as we said, the response to the pressure that countries like Germany and Italy are exerting. The Germans have even asked, directly, that the ban on selling cars with combustion engines be eliminated. They assure that allowing synthetic fuels will leave us with “cleaner mobility”. Italy is the other big obstacle that the French and Spanish are encountering. Since Giorgia Meloni came to power has pointed out the regulations as wrong already approved that should prohibit the sale of engines that generate CO2. Like France and Spain, Germany and Italy also go hand in hand but in this case they have signed a document in which they consider that the current emissions regulations contemplate “disproportionate penalties.” And here comes what can change everything. In Germany and Italy they believe that the volume of emissions must be taken into account “throughout the entire value chain or through the use of renewable fuels.” That is, each brand should be analyzed taking into account how many emissions it produces not only during the burning of the fuel in its engines, but also during its production. The final objective seems clear: if the manufacturer saves on emissions during its production, the engines should have room to expel that CO2 that the brand is already compensating during its production. That is, … Read more

The US wants to end the chips for the Chinese that are sold abroad. And China knows how to defend oneself

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The US Department of Commerce gave in the middle of this May A very important step forward in His offensive against Huawei’s business outside China. During the last weeks this Chinese company has presented two chips for artificial intelligence (AI), the Ascend 910d and the Ascend 920with which he seeks to occupy the holes in the Chinese market that will presumably leave Nvidia as a result of the latest sanctions to China deployed by the US. The American company led by Jensen Huang can no longer deliver to its Chinese clients Your H20 GPUand, precisely, Huawei aspires to get that market portion with its new chip ascend 920. The other GPU, the Ascend 910D chip, presumably delivers a performance comparable to that of the GPU NVIDIA H100so it aspires to consolidate as a solid alternative to the latter. The US cannot control the presence of Huawei in China, but has taken a very important step forward to cut off its presence outside its country of origin. The US is determined to prevent the sale of chips for Chinese outside China Frequently some readers ask us why the US has the power to prevent Asml, which is a company of the Netherlands, to sell its most advanced lithography teams to its Chinese clients. This right lies on a fundamental principle: the most advanced machines produced by ASML, such as its equipment of extreme ultraviolet photolithography (UVE) or deep ultraviolet (UVP) use US technologies. One of the most important is the innovation that allows these machines to generate ultraviolet radiation with adequate wavelength. If the US applies this regulation, China will activate its anti -senses law This is in essence the same principle that the US Department of Commerce has appealed to approve a resolution by which no country on the planet can buy the GPUs for the Ascend de Huawei. According to this American institution this Chinese company has produced these chips illegally using US technologiesso its export outside the borders of the country governed by Xi Jinping violates the export controls of the Department of Commerce. However, this is not all. And it is that last week the US government announced that this prohibition has acquired a global character, so it is no longer limited to the GPUs for Ia that produces Huawei, but affects all chips for the developed by Chinese companies. As expected, the Beijing Government He has taken it as an aggression. And has responded to the US with less moderation than on other occasions. His first measure has consisted of announcing that if the US applies this regulation, China will activate its anti -senses law. According to Xin QiangProfessor of the Institute of International Studies of the Fudan University, in Shanghai, “China’s countermeasures against this new chips restriction will impact US technology companies with large businesses in China (…) These technology companies They have a great influence in Washington“There is no doubt that the administration led by Xi Jinping has the ability to respond to its American counterpart. In fact, Qiang holds that “Beijing is essentially following US movements: you scales, I scall; you reduce, I reduce.” And we cannot ignore that China still has a margin to press the US and its allies hardening its export controls of critical minerals. Image | Moore Threads More information | SCMP In Xataka | In a low voice, China has begun to remove some tariffs from US products. Your concern: the chips

More than 600 bunkers to defend

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In May, a European area was alerted. The satellite data that had been achieved exclusively The Wall Street Journal They showed that Russia was expanding its bases military along its border with Finland. The documents also explained What did the United States In the area for weeks. Before the Russian threat, three other countries that are border have just revealed their plan: an extensive Baltic wall. The encounter with a hunt. That something is happening in the surroundings of the Baltic is explained by a unprecedented event this week. For years, the call “Ghost Flot” Russian (That opaque network of ship without clear flag or transparent record) has transported oil from Moscow through international waters, mocking the sanctions imposed by the West since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine. As we have counted beforethese ships, old and aged, operated on the margins of legality and without visible links with the Kremlin. But everything changed on May 13, when a Russian hunting Su-35 flyed out at low altitude The jaguaran oil company recently sanctioned by the United Kingdom, while Military Estonias authorities tried to inspect it in the Baltic. The incidentoccurred within the Estonian Air Space, has been interpreted in NATO as a clear climb: for the first time, Moscow used direct military media to protect a ship from its economic network informal. A direct answer. I told it in exclusive the confidential through its sources with the Estonia government. The Baltic Republics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) are preparing for the worst scenario. Despite being under the UTAN umbrella, the governments of these countries, aware of their geographical vulnerability and their limited military capacity against Russia, have opted for a Preventive strategy that combines physical deterrence, operational speed and political symbolism. Estonia has announced the construction of More than 600 bunkers along its border with Russia, while Latvia and Lithuania plan Extend this line Common defensive towards Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kalinningrad. The initiative, already baptized as “the Baltic Wall”, represents one of the most significant maneuvers of territorial defense in Europe from the NATO Foundation in 1949. Bunkers as a guarantee. According to Susan Lilleväli explainedUndersecretary of preparation for the defense of Estonia, the priority is “to defend every centimeter of the NATO territory”, not only as a deterrent gesture, but as a tangible response to the war reality observed in Ukraine. The bunkers, capable of hosting balls of up to ten soldiers In small spaces, they will be strategically available at key border points, combined With natural obstaclesantimovility systems and explosive artifact stores (although these will not be deployed in peacetime). The goal It is double: Standing or slowing down a possible Russian offensive enough to allow the arrival of allied reinforcements, and make any enemy preparation visible that involves crossing the fortified line, which would allow a faster and faster reaction. Although they acknowledge that there is no impenetrable defense, the man are committed to significantly elevating the political, logistics and human cost of any aggression. The Polish precedent. Plus: The defensive impulse does not arise from a vacuum. Poland, who also shares border with Belarus, already It has reconfigured part of your military device displacing troops From the west to the east in response to joint exercises between Belarusian military and mercenaries of the Wagner Group a few kilometers from its territory. And Finland is preparing with the United States. This redistribution occurred in a matter of hoursand evidences the new permanent alert state that runs through Eastern Europe. The governments of the region assume that the threshold of the unthinkable has fallen. If you want also, the notion that an invasion of a NATO member would be a suicidal act for Russia is now perceived as a Non -discharge risk. As I pointed Commander Kundla Tarmo, the mere fact of forcing the adversary to prepare to cross such a visible defense allows us to better anticipate their intentions. Physical armor. Not just that. The “Baltic Wall” aims to be much more than a military infrastructure: a political project with deep Psychological draft. Carries the memory of Decades of Soviet occupationespecially in Estonia, where the red flag waves for half a century. They counted in the confidential That for many citizens, this measure represents a physical guarantee that this will not be repeated. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has insisted that the Ukraine War has demonstrated That territorial preparation (in addition to weapons, ammunition and soldiers) is essential from the first border meter. “We want the population to feel safe,” He affirmedwhile stressing that everything will be “as soon as possible.” Urgency and a principle. Thus, and although the technical execution of the project can face obstacles (such as the purchase of private land or the need for compensation) development It has already begun. In fact, there are already fences, electronic surveillance and patrols in much of the Estonia border, and the measures will remain active while the new line of defense is built. In addition, the barrier also responds to acquired commitments by NATO at the Madrid Summit of 2022, where a new position based on an advanced defense and an advanced defense was adopted Disuase “through denial”. In other words, change is not only technical but doctrinal: it is no longer about responding to the attack, but to prevent it from the beginning. To do this, the lessons learned in Ukraine are combined with a long -term strategic vision. A decision where a phrase that already seems regional slogan resonates: “Better to prevent, to cure.” Image | Armija Latvijas In Xataka | Now we know what the US Army did in Finland. Russia is expanding its troops on its border with Europe In Xataka | Finland is the happiest country in the world. And is also preparing thoroughly for the most unhappy end: war

More than a decade ago, Seville created a system to defend against Guadalquivir waiting for not having to use it. Last night he had to activate it

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Anyone who was yesterday at the entrance to the Pava Charco, could see how the city’s firefighters They moved the huge gates of defense that shield the city of Seville of the floods of the Guadalquivir River. And it is likely not to know, but I was attending a historical moment: it is the first time since it was built that these steel plates (more than four of meters high and five tons of weight) have to close. Phase 1. Yesterday afternoon, the Hispanic City Council activated the emergency plan in phase 1 and brought together all emergency services (including Local Police, Civil Protection, National Police and 112) to coordinate the necessary measures. 30 people were evicted from a “chabolist settlement” that was in flood zone, control points were installed and It was decided to close The connection that connects La Vega de Triana with the city. That’s where the doors that have just closed are. He has also put the neighbors of Tablada, Valdezorras and El Gordillo on alert. But hadn’t it stopped raining? Yes, weather forecasts They do not show abundant rains In the area and in fact (although the red alert is maintained) the river flow has already begun to decrease in Córdoba. However, when we talk about Seville, the river is just one of the things to take into account. The tide. Although it is often difficult to imagine, the truth is that when the Guadalquivir arrives in Alcalá del Río (that is, 15 kilometers before reaching the municipality of the city of Seville) It is already at sea level. That makes that point more or less, the entire riverbed is subjected to the influence of the tides. And that is what worries the authorities: if the river flood coincides with the pleamar, the chances that the Guadalquivir will overflow begin to be huge. How historical is this really? Indeed, to say that the doors have closed for the first time is not saying too much: they settled in 2012 and the last time the city was on the edge of the debacle It was in 1996. However, the challenge is more than considerable. Because, like Díaz del Olmo explained years agoProfessor of Geography of the University of Seville, the reduction of the alluvial plain of the Guadalquivir (which has gone from 4 kilometers to 500 meters) adds risks to the situation. “It is worth that with the swamps that retain the water, so much alluvial plain is needed, but the current one is not much less sufficient,” he said. And not only for the plain itself, but because “If the river is wide and with meanders, the energy that the water carries is blurred; but if it is narrow and straight, the water acquires a great speed … like the flow of the river rises of the 4,000 cubic meters per second … we have a problem for which they do not serve neither the storm tanks or anything.” A monster called Guadalquivir. Luckily, we are not yet in that situation. However, this is a warning for navigators: taught by tons of concrete, rivers are sleeping monsters, but monsters after all. Just yesterday we talked about The great paradox of our time: Have to prepare for long periods of drought while we have to have infrastructure to contain torrential rains. Today we see that it is not something punctual, it is the true “new normality.” Image | Toni Pomar | ECMWF In Xataka | With the reservoirs to be overflowed with the rains of March, there is a reason for hope on the horizon: the light of the light

In 1958 France approved a nuclear plan to defend itself without the US. Russia has turned the plan into a reality for Europe

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It happened in 1958, but now it cannot be more relevant. Then, General Charles de Gaulle had a vision of the need for France to maintain some strategic dependence by launching the Nuclear deterrence policy Sovereign, a kind of nuclear umbrella arguing that, although the United States was an ally, its interests may not always coincide with those of Europe. It has spent more than half a century and, suddenly, the continent has set the French nuclear doctrine against American uncertainty. The possible extension of the shield. It was French president Emmanuel Macron who He raised the possibility to associate French nuclear deterrence with the defense of other European countries. Although its ad It could explicitly spread To other nations. In this regard, the French Defense Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, reiterated that the nuclear arsenal will remain completely Frenchunder the only authority of the president. However, the key issue is whether France could assume a more active role in the continent nuclear defense. The (in) definition. Historically, French nuclear doctrine has been ambiguous with the threat of a massive response if France’s “vital interests” were in danger. However, these interests have never been defined precisely. From the presidency of De Gaulle, France has suggested that some European countries were already de facto, Under your protection. In fact, in 1964 De Gaulle declared that a Soviet attack against Germany could be interpreted as a threat to France. We remember that France and the United Kingdom are the only European nations with nuclear weapons. France counts With almost 300 eyeletsdeployed in airplanes and submarines, while the United Kingdom has approximately 250. Thus, there is a crucial difference: France maintains total independence in the development and operation of its arsenal, while the United Kingdom depends on US technology. Europe thinks about it. Actually, what has really changed in this debate is not the French proposal, but the attitude of the rest of Europe. Until recent United States and NATO. This idea has jumped through the air with the second mandate of Donald Trump, added to his current rhetoric of reduce military support To Europe, which has generated a change of perspective. Countries Like Germany They have seriously considered the option of a European nuclear shield. Moreover, the next German chancellor Friedrich Merz, surprised his allies by suggesting that it was time to open a dialogue with France and the United Kingdom about the possibility of reinforcing European nuclear deterrence. Scenarios for the alleged nuclear shield. Analysts have become more or less according to the time of summarize the options. There is talk of a deployment of French airplanes with nuclear weapons in other countries, Like Germany or Poland. The decision to use them would continue to be in the exclusive hands of the French president, but his presence would send a disjection message. Also of patrol of French nuclear bombers in European borders, as they do in French airspace, and the creation of air bases in other European countries, allowing a rapid deployment of French nuclear forces in case of crisis. The importance of eyelets. We would say that key for obvious reasons. The number of eyelets is a crucial factor. As we said, France has 300 nuclear heads, and together with The 250 of the United Kingdomthe total number would reach 550. The problem: which is significantly lower than Russian Arsenalwhich exceeds approximately 6,000 eyelets (the majority in reserve), although it is often clarified that the deterrence does not depend only on the amount of weapons, but on the credible and fast response capacity. Another aspect under discussion is if France should modify its nuclear doctrine to explicitly include the defense of its European allies within its “vital interests”. Some analysts argue that maintaining strategic ambiguity is part of the deterrence itself, but others argue that a clear statement of commitment would strengthen trust among European allies. The Russian threat. Although France has M51 missilescapable of reaching Moscow and other great Russian cities with enormous destructive power, Moscow’s ability to respond is, what is much greater. According to estimates in Russian media, a single Missile “Satan II” It could “atomize Paris In 200 seconds“, which underlines the risks of a direct confrontation. The problem lies, in addition, that Russia, given its geographical extension, could resist a prolonged nuclear exchange, while France lacks that strategic advantage. This asymmetry in the ability of mutual destruction raises doubts about the effectiveness of French deterrence in case of a conflict with Russia. If the “yes” occurs. In any case, what seems clear is that if France manages to expand its nuclear role within Europe with the support of the United Kingdom, this would represent a crucial step towards the strategic autonomy of the EU. The deployment of combat aircraft with nuclear capacity in Eastern Europe would not only strengthen the defense of the continent, but would send a clear political sign of unity and determination to Russia. It would be to see, of course, what would be Moscow’s reaction. Image | James Vaughan In Xataka | Europe rescues an old plan to defend Ukraine without a third World War: Sky Shield and its 120 combat planes In Xataka | Ukraine will lose his most powerful weapon in the US. That will give Russia an unprecedented advantage: attack more than 30 kilometers

The people who defend that the Internet is changing the brain forever

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Our brain is a constantly change organ. It changes throughout our life not only as a result of our growth and aging, also as a consequence of daily activities, from exercise to reading, through sleep and other diverse actions. Of course, the time we spend in front of the screens is that of a computer or that of our mobile, They also affect our brain. We associate these changes to problems such as the loss of our capacity for attention or the appearance of addictive behaviors associated for example to the use of social networks. Knowing how our brain interacts with the digital world in the era of social networks is a key step to improve our well -being in this new context, understanding the magnitude of problems as those mentioned above and also trying to find the positive side of these interactions. That is why this is a field of great interest for research. We said before our brain is an organ that does not stop changing. These changes represent the very essence of learning (and much more). To the ability of the brain to transform and reconfigure, even at the physiological level, in response to external stimuli we call it neuroplasticity. This is explained by Loles Villalobos Tornero, of the Department of Experimental Psychology Cognitive processes and speech therapy of the Complutense University of Madrid, In an article in The conversation. “We call neuroplasticity to the extraordinary capacity of our thinking body to transform and functionally and physically reconfigure its structure in response to environmental stimuli, behavioral experiences or cognitive demands. In short, to the situations we live. This is mainly possible thanks to the creation and control of the number of neurons, the migration of these nerve cells and the formation of new connections, ”says Villalobos Tornero In your piece. What our brain does is, to some extent, improve neuronal connections between neurons that tend to activate in unison, which Facilitate synapses Among these, that is, the act of transmitting activity from one neuron to another. These changes, as the expert points out, affect the structure of neural networks. There are two recurring examples when we talk about neuroplasticity: musicians and taxi drivers. Training markedly specialized in these unions translates into physiological changes in the brains of these people. In a case in rhythmic and harmonic learning, as well as in the skill required to touch an instrument; In the second, in the spatial aspect. In Your article in The conversationVillalobos Tornero also speaks of the importance of neuroplasticity in another context, that of brain lesions. When a brain injury prevents the brain from continuing to develop a task, the brain reconfigures its activity to be able to develop the same task by resorting to the whole areas of the organ. Such is the adaptive capacity of our brain. It is not to surprise that yes, that the use of current digital tools, Internet, smartphones and social networks have the ability to change our brain. The question of how and to what extent It is what has been intrigued by experts in brain and cognition for years. To understand how we must still introduce another concept. The ability of our brain to adapt to new amazing situations, we pointed out. More if we take into account that this organ did not evolve to follow hyperlinks but for tasks such as looking for food and escaping predators. If we want to understand how the brain adapts to something so far from the functions for which it evolved, we must also take into account the idea of ​​the Cortical co -optation. The Cortical co -optation Something like the “recycling of brain areas” can be seen, which in origin would have evolved to develop certain functions to be able to assimilate new skills, explains Lucia Amoruso, a researcher at the BCBL (Basque Center on Cognition Brain and Language). “A classic example is (The reading and writing). From an evolutionary point of view, human beings are not born with a specific brain module for these skills, ”explains the researcher. “However, throughout development, The “recycling” brain previously specialized in the recognition of objects and faces (…) to allow the acquisition of literacy. ” For Amoruso, the current brain transformation is similar, with our brain having to adapt to different stimuli, “fast, dynamic and fragmented.” Decades studying The year 2010, when social networks were in full explosion, saw the publication of two books on the subject. In a review For the magazine NatureDaphne Bavelier and Shawn Green paid attention to the fact that, despite being both books based on scientific knowledge in the field, their respective authors reached diametrically opposite conclusions. Studies such as those that have already been showing us, through magnetic resonances, which Our active brain when it sails Online a neuronal network greater than the one in operation when he simply reads. Something that is not at all surprising, after all navigate Internet requires greater activity than more passive reading. Greater neuronal networks are activated is indicative that the footprint in our brain of our virtual activity could be greater than the one left by the “conventional” reading. Interestingly, neuronal activation in Internet searches was also greater among people with some knowledge of the digital environment, in contrast to people less familiar with the digital environment. Nick Biltton and Nicholas Car, the authors of the books, interpret this same fact in different ways. If for Biltton this is a learning sign; Carr recalled that the use of a greater number of neurons does not necessarily imply an improvement in our brain processes. Drawing generalizable conclusions in this context is difficult. But more than two decades have passed since 2010 and the number of studies analyzing this topic has expanded. In 2019, a team of researchers published a review of the scientific literature that addressed the issue in order to summarize the “state of science” regarding this issue. The details of his analysis were Published as an article In the … Read more

“They only defend being able to continue looked while protecting criminal organizations”

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Cloudflare He has started legal actions against LaLiga by IPS blockages that are affecting thousands of legitimate websites. The technology has presented an incident of nullity against the sentence that covers these blockages, claiming that LaLiga obtained “hiding the foreseeable damage to third parties.” The reply. LaLiga has responded hard, accusing Cloudflare of being an accomplice of serious crimes. “While proclaiming that they are defenders of the open Internet, the reality is that they only defend themselves to be able to look, using other clients as digital shield, while protecting criminal organizations consciously,” the statement said. Between the lines. The organization chaired by Javier Tebas states that Cloudflare “He collaborates through his technology with the commission of the most serious crimes such as child pornography, pimperism, scam, etc.” It also denies the collaboration that Cloudflare says to maintain with other rights holders. In perspective. The conflict transcends Spanish borders. According to LaLiga, “in other countries such as France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal the rights holders have also sued Cloudflare in court for their absence of collaboration to eradicate audiovisual fraud.” Specifically mentions that in Italy they have breached “condemnatory judicial resolutions.” In Italy, the Court of Milan issued judicial orders against Cloudflare for facilitating the distribution of protected content without authorization. In December 2024, it was ruled that Cloudflare had to block the DNS resolution of domains associated with piracy and cease services such as CDN and reverse proxy used to violate copyright. In addition, a daily fine of 10,000 euros for non -compliance was imposed. In November 2020, the Higher Regional Court of Germany confirmed a court order that forced Cloudflare to prevent its users from accessing content made available to the public without authorization On the DDL-Music website. The contrast. While Cloudflare speaks of “millions of users” affected by the blockages, LaLiga says that this figure “scarcely reaches a hundred” and has challenged the technological to demonstrate it. To do this, you have enabled a mailbox where those affected can report incidents (affectedcloudflare@laliga.es). In parallel a joint complaint is being prepared. Then we play the statement that LaLiga has sent to Xataka in answer to The legal actions announced by Cloudflare: Before the statement that has made cloudflare public this Wednesday, LaLiga wants to clarify that the fact that Cloudflare says that he is usually collaborating with the rights holders to resolve illegal retransmissions is flatly false. However, in other countries such as France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal the rights holders have also sued Cloudflare in court for their absence of collaboration to eradicate audiovisual fraud. Specifically in Italy they have even breached these convictions. LaLiga, as she has always done with other Internet operators, has made a multitude of requirements to Cloudflare in search of their collaboration, which they have responded with unlikely technological excuses and incoherent ratifying their behavior. One more sample that, while Cloudflare proclaims that they are defenders of the open Internet, the reality is that they only defend being able to continue looked, using other clients as a digital shield, while protecting criminal organizations consciously. LaLiga is positioned as the defender of the Internet open equally, but never from an internet where crimes against intellectual property can be committed, and in the case of Cloudflare collaborates so that it is through its technology, with the commission of the More serious crimes such as child pornography, pimping, fraud, etc. Likewise, LaLiga denies again that there are massive and indiscriminate blockages of content, nor that they are clumsy or ineffective, but the result of an effective performance carried out by a specialized team, after exhaustive precautions at all levels. In its continuous commitment to protect intellectual property rights, and with the pertinent judicial protection, LaLig legitimate, being cloudflare the sole responsible for it. Before the inaction and unprotection of Cloudflare towards its own users, LaLig Those affected ascend, which the technology has used as a digital shield, as they assure. Since LaLiga estimates that this figure rare a few hundred. LaLiga reaffirms its commitment against audiovisual fraud and will take the relevant and provided measures in the judicial field if necessary, in its purpose of defending their intellectual property assets and the interests and integrity of their clubs and Internet users. Outstanding image | LaLigaXataka with Mockuuups Studio In Xataka | This is how Ech works, the Technological Shield of Cloudflare that has put the operators between the sword and the wall

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