France

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.

Spain and France warned of a failure in Europe’s drone wall. Now the plan includes lasers and civilians with rifles

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The drone raids Russians on the european airspace have turned the sky of the continent into a new frontier of hybrid warfare. In a few weeks, these devices have forced the closure of airports, putting the air forces on alert from NATO and reopened a debate that Europe thought distant: how to defend yourself of a cheap, difficult to track and increasingly sophisticated enemy. Then we heard the idea for the first time of the “drone wall”and now it’s starting to take an unexpected shape. The invisible threat. The incidents in PolandDenmark and Germany, where drones of unknown origin flew over military bases and civilian areas before disappearing, have accelerated the creation of an unprecedented defense device. Allies seek to protect the population and its critical infrastructure while balance the answer immediate with the development of a long-term architecture. This is how the idea of ​​raising an antidrone walla technological network that combines sensors, radars, jammers and low-cost weapons to detect, intercept and neutralize threats in a matter of seconds. The birth of the wall. The concept emerged many months ago, inspired by the lessons of Ukraine and the evidence that European armies They lacked adequate systems to counter the proliferation of drones. The Baltic countries, together with Poland and Finland, presented the initial proposal to the European Commission: a technological wall on NATO’s eastern flank, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, financed with border security funds and intended to monitor the skies against possible Russian incursions. But the wave of drones that crossed Polish airspace last September changed the scale of the project. Ursula von der Leyen proclaimed the need for a “wall” to protect all of Europe. What began as a regional idea became the embryo of a continental air defense network against unmanned systems, the so-called European Drone Defense Initiativeincluded in the new military readiness roadmap that the Commission will present this fall. Europe accelerates. Thus, while politics was debated over budgets and powers, the armies acted. Denmark installed Doppler radars in Copenhagen and at its base in Skrydstruphome of its F-16 and F-35, to detect suspicious movements. Sweden announced a investment of 370 million of dollars in interceptors, jammers and frequency sensors. Germany passed a law which allows police to shoot down drones that pose an imminent threat, and the United Kingdom deployed spy planes on twelve-hour missions over the Russian border. Defense manufacturers quickly joined the effort: Saab presented its Nimbrix missiledesigned specifically to take down swarms of drones, and the loke systema modular radar, machine gun and electronic warfare set created in just three months to respond quickly to the threat. And in an unexpected turn of events, the Danes have gone further than anyone else: they even accelerated the instructor training military with shotguns to shoot down drones at close range, an unusual measure that reflects the urgency with which Europe is trying to close a critical technological gap. You have to expand. The initial enthusiasm for the anti-drone wall soon found a political problem: Western and southern Europe felt excluded from an initiative that concentrated resources in the East. Countries like Spain, France or Italy they detected a problem and they warned that the threats are not limited to the Russian front, since drones can operate from any point in the territory. The Commission took note and proposed expand the plantransforming the “wall” into a pan-European network of sensors, jammers and weapons integrated under the same coordination framework. Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius admitted that the EU’s current capabilities are “very limited” and that it will be necessary to resort to Ukrainian experience, accumulated after almost four years of daily fighting against Russian swarms. The remakerenamed the European Drone Defense Initiative, seeks total coverage and proposes a double challenge: demonstrate that the Union can assume a real operational role in defense (traditionally the responsibility of States and NATO) and achieve consensus among twenty-seven countries with very different military priorities. Obstacles of a wall. But there are more obstacles. I told it in an extensive report this morning Reuters. The project faces a complex internal battle over who should lead it. Small and Eastern nations prefer that the Commission centralize coordination, while France and Germany (accustomed to directly managing their arms programs) they refuse to give in leadership. Berlin and Paris also fear that the Commission will end up assuming powers that traditionally belong to national sovereignty. At the same time, experts warn that the idea of ​​a wall can generate a false sense of security: No network, no matter how advanced, can guarantee the downing of all drones. The technical difficulties they are huge: Connecting radars, acoustic sensors, optical systems, interceptors and artificial intelligence software from different countries into a single mesh will require years of testing and billion-dollar investments. The challenge is to achieve a defense staggered and adaptable to a type of threat in constant mutation, where each enemy innovation requires an immediate response. Lessons from Ukraine. It we have counted other times. The war in Ukraine has taught Europeans a costly lesson: you cannot shoot down a 10,000 euro drone with a missile that costs a million. The sustainability of the combat depends on intermediate solutionsfrom interceptor drones that collide with enemies to automatic cannons and low-power laser systems. Rheinmetall, the German giant, defends the use of artillery as a more profitable option and has already received orders from Denmark, Hungary and Austria for its Skyranger mobile system. Emerging companies from the Baltic and Germany, such as Marduk Technologies or Alpine Eagle, have presented your own schemes multi-layer defensewhile Ukraine continues to serve as a testing ground: its operators adjust the speed and maneuverability of the interceptors almost in real time to face increasingly faster Russian versions. This constant evolution turns anti-drone defense into a living disciplineof countermeasure and countermeasure, where human experience and AI must coexist. The utopia of safe heaven. If you will, the future of the alleged European anti-drone wall depends now on three factors: … Read more

From Europe its “welfare state” was envied. But it is increasingly difficult to pay, and France is the best example

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Europa presumed for decades of having found the perfect formula to combine economic prosperity with social justice: hospitals open to all, affordable universities and worthy retirements after a work life. That pact between generations, envied on the other side of the Atlantic, became the identity mark of the continent. And yet They begin to become visible. And one of its banners wobbles: France. A price too high. I told this week The Washington Post. Europe lives a historical crossroads: the social model that guaranteed universal health, accessible education and decent retirements begins to show cracks that can no longer be hidden. France It is the epicenter of that tension. There, the runaled public debt, political paralysis and succession of Fallen prime ministers In just fifteen months they show deep wear. The State Spend more than any other country rich in social protection, but that expense seems unsustainable in a context of low growth and growing polarization. The recent resignation From Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, unable to agre as inalienable. Model under generational pressure. There are more, since, in France, new generations feel that they inherit a system that they cannot sustain. He Post counted Cases of young people such as Anastasia Blay, who depend on intermittent subsidies to survive, convinced that they should not load with the mistakes of the past or give up a decent life. In front of them, retirees like Christine Boucau-Podorski They defend The pensions achieved after decades of hard work and are willing to limited sacrifices, but not losing acquired rights. This struggle between young and old reflects the intergenerational shock that crosses To all of Europe: Who pays the invoice, what benefits should be preserved and to what extent intergenerational solidarity can continue to be the base of the European social contract. Germany and France Wobm up. Fragility is not limited to France. Germany, the other great Historical support of the European Union, faces industrial recessiondeterioration of infrastructure and a government that admits since “the current system is unassumable.” Political tensions are intense, with the social democratic opposition refusing to accept drastic cuts and the extreme right by capitalizing citizen discomfort. Meanwhile, the Ultras games grow On both sides of the rhine fed by social disenchantment and the feeling of stagnation. The paradox is that Italy or Spainonce considered weak links, they exhibit today greater stability macroeconomic than European locomotives. The center, formerly balancing, has become the area of ​​greatest uncertainty, which weakens the European project at a time of growing external threats. The southern paradox. It is quite striking that countries historically seen as fragile, such as Spain and Italy, today appear (either They seem) as relatively more stable. Italy, after decades of political instability, lives its strongest period with a controversial government that has even achieved An improvement of the credit rating. Spain, meanwhile, has reduced by half unemployment in the last decade and maintains growth above the European average, despite spend less on well -being than France or Germany. This roles investment shows to what extent the clichés of the southern Europe have been exceeded: the Mediterranean nations, previously accused of fiscal laxity, seem to have learned to navigate austerity, while “the rich north” It sinks in its own budgetary rigidity. The perfect storm. The challenge is aggravated by external factors that multiply internal pressures. The Russian Invasion of Ukraine pushes to increase the defense expensejust when public coffers They are already exhausted. China Compete fiercely With European industry, from electric cars to nuclear energy, eroding the international position of German and French manufactures. And the United States, far from offering security, Add uncertainty with a president who changes position in a matter of days and threatens tariffs to his own allies. Europe must decide If prioritize shield Your welfare state, to reorient resources towards military security or find a balance that does not sacrifice either global competitiveness or social cohesion. The great unknown. Experts Like Andreas Eisl They argue that the dilemma is first of all politician: it is not if Europe can maintain its social model, but to what extent it wants to do it and what sacrifices is willing to assume. Attempts to apply cuts, such as 44,000 million euros proposed in the budget that demolished Prime Minister François Bayrou, have caused A massive rejection on the street and fed polarization. However, mathematics is relentless: with a aging populationa Birth in Declive and one Increasing resistance To immigration, the fiscal base narrows while the needs increase. Europe may not be on the verge of a Greek collapse, or it does not seem, but the sustainability of its “way of life” indicates that it has ceased to be An unquestionable dogma. And that is, perhaps, the true battle of the future: if the old continent manages to reinvent his social contract without dynamiting him in the process. Image | Pexels, Martin Greslou In Xataka | Spain has a big problem with the generational relief of the labor market: 3.5 million young workers are missing In Xataka | Birth in Poland is a disaster and hotels have had an idea: money for those who conceive in a stay

Spain always longed for the US to look at it like Italy and France. Now that desire is becoming dangerously

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In the middle of the year the rumor of A boycott from Europe to the United States in one of its most profitable sectors: tourism. Among the cultivation broth there was talk of a political situation that had generated rejection, noticing even in reservation falls for summer (up to 25%). Interestingly, this does not happen, or remotely, in reverse. In fact, Americans like Spain so much that an avalanche of citizens is expected in the coming years. We talk about millions. The personal discovery. The truth is that the relationship between American travelers and Spain It is not understood only from statistics, but also of individual stories that have captured attention on social networks. In 2023, the Smith family, originally from Kansas, It was installed in Logroño After deciding to change life in full pandemic. Their Videos on Tiktok and Instagram, just like those of Morgana creator of Michigan transferred to Madrid, made visible the contrast between the American and Spanish lifestyle: the sociability of the dinners at ten o’clock at night, the peace of mind of having a public health system, the culture of sitting down to breakfast instead of eating fast or the naturalness that children’s parks are next to a bar. For millions of followers, their vision served as a country mirror that offered security, quality of life and a different sense of community, aroused renewed interest in experiencing Spain from within. The quantitative jump. That personal interest was later reflected in the numbers. In 2024, Spain received almost 94 million tourists International and broke all records, with a 12% increase in arrivals and 18.6% in spending only in the first seven months of the year. He CaixaBank report Research stressed a especially striking fact: the expense of the visitors of North America in August was 90% higher to 2019, which made the United States one of the most dynamic and lucrative markets. Reasons? The dollar strength And American economic growth explained part of the trend, which was consolidated in destinations such as Catalonia, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands. Meanwhile, airlines and United Airlines took advantage of the juncture for multiply direct routes To Spain, opening connections with Mallorca, Málaga, Tenerife and Bilbao. The future projection. The euphoria was confirmed this September with the Publication of the report Portrait of American & Canadian International Travelers, commissioned by Turespaña. According to the study, 70%of Americans plan to visit Spain in the next three years, an even greater proportion among millennials (81%) and high -purchasing power travelers (76%). The figures draw a sustained growth panorama, with spending projections of more than $ 13,000 per traveler and a remarkable interest in authentic cultural experiences, gastronomy and nature. Madrid and Barcelona lead the desired list of destinations, followed by Valencia and Seville, while in the island Tenerife and Gran Canaria stand out, with an interest that exceeds 70%. Because. The big question. The reports indicate Key factors to explain this enthusiasm: security (91%), climate (87%) and cultural activities (87%) are decisive in choice. It also underlines greater sensitivity towards sustainability, With 84% Of the Americans willing to pay more for services responsible for the environment, a provision led by the younger generations. In addition, the Planning habits: The growing weight of online and social networks reviews Like Instagram or YouTubethe preference for multi -city itineraries (84%) and the expansion of the airbnb tourist accommodation market, which competes with traditional hotels and resorts. Spain in front of the competition. On the global board, Spain appears as a destination “balanced and versatile”capable of combining culture, gastronomy and nature in a unique offer. He Report places to the country ahead of France, Portugal or the United Kingdom in the North American market, and in a direct pulse with Italy and Greece for leadership in Mediterranean cultural experience. The data of 2024 and the first semester of 2025 They confirm it: The United States has become the fourth issuer market in total expenditure, with 9,014 million euros and more than 4.3 million visitors, a high -purchasing capacity tourist profile that stays eight days on average and spends more than 270 euros daily. From personal experience to the phenomenon. What started as a phenomenon of discovery staff (families and young people who shared in networks their astonishment from Spanish customs) has become a massive flow that BRAND EXPENSE REGRESS and Project millions of arrivals in the next three years. Spain has not only become a tourist destination of reference for Americans, but also a mirror of values ​​and lifestyles that contrast with those of their country of origin. Among the crowded terraces At midnight, the Mediterranean cuisinethe safety of cities or Public Healthan image is drawn that attracts both travelers in search of leisure and those who wish to rethink their entire life. The challenge, from now on, will be to manage this wave without being Dilute the quality of life That, paradoxically, it is The greatest attraction from Spain for those who discover it from afar. Image | Willian Justen de Vasconcellos In Xataka | Something strange is happening with tourism in Spain: the data is at maximum, the hoteliers insist that there is crisis In Xataka | Making tourism in Spain is getting so expensive that at this point in the year it is more profitable to travel to the Caribbean

It will open its first store in France and leave unknowns about its landing in Spain

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We have always seen Shein as an online giant, a brand that seemed not to need shop windows to reach millions of people. However, it has just taken a step that changes its history: it will open its first permanent physical store in Europe, and not anywhere, but in Paris, the city that marks the pulse of fashion, luxury and big brands. According to Le Mondewill do it in the BHV Marais next month and then in other locations. What has been announced. The company has confirmed that the opening in BHV Marais will not be an isolated case. The plan contemplates extending the physical model to other French cities with the concession formula in department stores. It is a movement that changes scale: it goes from temporary experiences to stable retail contracts, with permanent inventory and continuous presence. In the words of the company, it is an essay in France that probably sets the course of its strategy in Europe. From the ephemeral to the permanent. Until now, the usual formula of Shein had been the pop-up stores, premises that only work for a few days or weeks and that serve to generate expectation, try markets or reinforce the presence of brand without major fixed costs. These experiences have appeared in several large cities, always temporarily. What is announced in France is different: it implies stable contracts, permanent inventory and a long -term commitment to physical retail. In Spain we have already seen how this strategy works. In June 2022, Shein opened a temporary store in Sandoval Street in Madrid that barely lasted a few days, and In April 2024 he repeated with a space of 900 square meters In the mall ABC Serranoturned into its largest pop-up in the country. He has also done similar evidence in Paris, London, Lisbon or New York. All these openings generated queues and headlines, but none remained in time: they were ephemeral showcase experiences, not permanent stores. Criticism in Paris. The announcement did not take time to turn on the reaction of the French sector. YANN RIVOALLAN, President of the French Federation of Prêt-à-Porter Feminin, He expressed it in France Inter with forcefulness: “They are seizing everything.” He recalled that the BHV Marais is in front of the Paris City Council and added: “They are occupying all the space, both in the media and on the Internet, and now they also want to occupy physical space in the most emblematic places.” For him, Shein’s landing symbolizes the pressure suffered by local trade. SGM defense. Not everyone sees movement as a threat. Frédéric Merlin, at the head of Société des Grands Magasins, assured in Le Parisien that the challenge is to take advantage of Shein’s digital force to give oxygen to shopping centers. “Shein has 25 million French clients,” he recalled, adding: “We are not going to stop the Fast Fashion. The challenge is that it also serves traditional retailers. With physical stores they will have the same weapons as their detractors. ” Société des Grands Magasins enthusiasm is not shared throughout the group. The Lafayette galleries matrix, which no longer controls BHV but does manage its emblematic Paris warehouse, expressed its disagreement with the treatment achieved with Shein. The company made clear in an official statement that will block any attempt to implement in the centers that are still under their direct management. The fracture reflects that Shein’s entrance not only faces the sector, but also the commercial partners themselves. Regulation and sanctions. Shein’s landing coincides with a particularly tense political climate. In France, a law that would apply a “bonus-malus” system to penalize disposable fashion and reward sustainable production is discussed. In July, A French court already imposed on the company a fine of 40 million euros for deceptive practices on discounts. The pressure also comes from Brussels: in May, The European Commission notified Shein practices contrary to consumption regulations. Shein’s vision. The company wanted to give its own version of the movement. Donald Tang, Shein’s executive president, assured in Le Figaro That the election of France seeks to “pay tribute to the country and Paris, the world capital of fashion and cradle of the great modern warehouse.” He denied that Shein is the cause of traditional trade setback: “If sales stores have dropped, it is not for Shein. Difficulties began long before our arrival.” In addition, he promised the creation of 200 new jobs associated with the project. Spain: the official and the unofficial. The contrast with France is evident. In Valencia, the reopening of the mn4 shopping center included A store called Uniqs that the Shein brand was visibly used in signs and posters. The company’s reaction was blunt. To EL ESPAÑOL declared: “We have been informed about unauthorized stores in Spain and other places that claim to be stores, outlets or sellers of Shein. The brand does not operate any permanent physical store in Spain or anywhere in Europe.” A warning to distinguish the official one from what it is not. What we still don’t know. Shein’s plan in France opens many questions for the rest of Europe. For now, the company insists that it does not have permanent stores in Spain or in any other European country, but if the French essay thrives, the unknown is whether it will choose to expand the model to our market. In that scenario, the impact could be noted in stores that today use their name without authorization. At the moment, there is no confirmation and the only sure thing is that everything is still in the test phase. With the decision to open in Paris, Shein breaks the border that for years had separated his online business from physical trade. The movement has generated enthusiasm, rejection and doubts in equal parts, and opens a debate about the future of retail in Europe. In the absence of confirmations about other countries, the French pilot will be the reference to measure how far this change in strategy can go. What is … Read more

France has tried by all means that CAF does not take “the contract of the century” of the Belgian trains. There is good news

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The contract continues. That is what the Belgian responsible for one of the country’s greatest tenders have said. The so -called “Century Contract” will therefore fall on CAF, the great Spanish rail giant. The Spanish company will be in charge of providing trains to the “Belgian Renfe”. Refused. The State Council of Belgium has spoken. And what has decided is that it rejects the last resort that Alstom had presented in the award contest to provide the CNS (the Belgian Renfe) of a huge battery of trains to modernize much of the fleet. In The mail They detail that the Belgian State Council had already rejected a resource for Siemens last week and now has been dismissed that of Alstom. The process has been especially long and complex with numerous resources presented, comings and goings and reconfirmations. “The contract of the century”. Given the enormous volume of money that will move this contract, it does not seem that the famous denomination of “the contract of the century” is left great. To start, the investment will be 1,695 million euros but if the deadlines and volume of deliveries are met, CAF could receive up to 3.4 billion euros. The amount will be paid for The supply of 500 trains Automotores including three car models with battery hybrid propulsion that will have the task of replacing the old diesel locomotives in those roads that have not yet been electrified. With the rejection of the latest resources, it only remains to negotiate the last details and sign the greatest contract in the history of CAF. Long and complex. Getting with this contract has not been simple for the Spanish company. At the beginning of the year, Alstom and Siemens resorted to the award of CAF to CAF, claiming that the motivations for it were not transparent enough. In April, a Belgian court recommended suspending the contest. During that time, Alstom took the opportunity to press by pointing out that his proposal was better because they have a plant on Belgian soil, emphasizing that the decision to take out this contract would harm the citizens themselves because they were not betting on local employment as a decisive factor. The process, however, continued. However, CAF has had to wait for the Belgian authorities to definitely reject the resource of Siemens and a second resource by emergency presented by Alstom, who insisted again on a supposed lack of transparency. Israel. During the last bars of all this bureaucratic framework, various voices rose to question the award of CAF. They defended that a company that was associated with the Israeli Shapir could not be hired to build and expand the red and green lines of the Light Jerusalem Rail. The project is problematic because it will be built on illegal Israeli settlements. That has caused the Basque company to have been indicated in an official UN report as one of the companies that take revenues from the country’s antipalestine policy. They specify that with this type of works these illegal settlements are helped. 500 million euros. That is what is estimated to take coffee If the Israeli project goes ahead. This is valued at 1.8 billion euros to lift 27 kilometers of roads and 50 new stations. With them we want to connect the West Bank settlements with those of West Jerusalem. The business for CAF does not remain alone in the construction of this light meter. It is also about to decide when it will participate in the management of the lines. At the moment, it is being assessed that its involvement is maintained between 15 and 25 years once between operation. CAF shields that the award of the contract is prior to the Israeli invasion of Palestine. Do not get into. At least that is what they say from SCNB. Appealed by up to four associations that rejected that CAF received this contest for its involvement with the project in the West Bank and Jerusalem, the Belgian operator has responded that it cannot “determine the foreign or commercial policy of the companies involved,” they collect in The mail. Its position is contrary to other companies in the sector. The Norwegian sovereign fund, for example, has retired its investments in Shapir (the partner of CAF in the Israeli project) for the genocide committed in Gaza and the Manager Storeband also took CA from its portfolio for its involvement. The Catalan company Comsa was also part of the consortium that had gained the award of the blue line of the tram to Jerusalem but In 2024 he retired from the project and The Basque Siner announced that it will not serve steel to Israeli companies. Photo | CAF and ABODI VESAKARAN In Xataka | Renfe wanted to renew his fleet in Cantabria and Asturias. Until he was wrong with the width of his trains

Two years ago, an asteroid exploded over France with unusual violence. What saved the French was their size

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February 13, 2023. It was 4:59 in the morning when a violent explosion illuminated the skies of Normandynorth of France. It was not a ray, nor a missile. It was the end of a travel of millions of kilometers for a small asteroid called 2023 Cx1. Seven hours of notice. The 650 -kilogram rock had just a meter in diameter, so it had been detected only seven hours before impact. But the most disturbing thing was not his surprise arrival, but his behavior when entering the earth’s atmosphere. An exhaustive analysis published two and a half years later in Nature Astronomy He has revealed that, if the asteroid had been larger, the consequences of his extraordinary explosion could have been devastating. A high -risk meteor. Most meteorites are fragmenting as they descend through the atmosphere, but 2023 CX1 endured intact until it reached a distance to the ground of only 28 kilometers. At that point, the pressure made it explode like a pump. After traveling through space for about 30 million years, the asteroid released 98% of all its kinetic energy in a second fraction. And in a very concentrated region of the atmosphere, when it reached a dynamic pressure of 4 megapascal. It does not compare with Cheliábinsk. The 2023 CX1 behavior was radically different from that of the car whose explosion of 500 kilotons He broke windows and caused hundreds of injured in Russia in 2013. The one in France generated a spherical shock wave instead of cylindrical, concentrating much more energy and greatly increasing the area of ​​soil affected by overpressure. According to researchers, this type of abrupt fragmentation could cause much more damage than the progressive fragmentations of similar size bodies. The French were lucky that it was so small. More firewood for planetary defense. The analysis was based on an unprecedented number of observations after mobilizing the scientific and citizen community in those seven hours of margin. The prediction of the fall by ESA and NASA had a margin of error of less than 20 meters between the planned and observed trajectory, which in turn facilitated the recovery of more than one hundred fragments of the meteorite in the commune of Saint-Pierre-Le Viger. According to the CSICwhich participated in the investigation, this event confirms the existence of a new population of asteroids, type L chondrites, capable of these violent explosions. “These asteroids must be taken into account in the Planetary Defense Strategiessince they represent a higher risk for populated areas, “says Auriane Egal, first author of the study. With what we know today, perhaps the authorities activate evacuation plans the next time an asteroid of this type threatens us. Provided that detection systems do not fail, and detect the threat in time. Image | THAT In Xataka | Tunguska: the explosion of 12 megatones that reminds us that space is full of wonders, but also of horrors

Russia’s order has triggered anxiety in Europe. Germany and France are already preparing for the worst: 1,000 injured per day

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To the incursions of Russia in the European airspace that took place last week In Poland, Romania and Estoniaanother in Denmark has joined with chaotic consequences for airlines. NATO has raised the voice while Moscow seems to test the allied cohesion in the Baltic. In the background: a series of movements that indicate two things: anxiety has shot in Europe, and some begin to prepare for a war scenario. Denmark does not give credit. Denmark has described As an “unprecedented attack” the incursions of drones that have forced to close the airports of Copenhagen and Oslo for hours, leaving tens of thousands of stranded passengers, in an episode that encompasses the wave of aerial rapes and drones attacks in past days To Poland, Romania and Estonia. The aircraft appeared from multiple directions, alternating lights and then disappearing, and the Danish authorities attribute them to “a capable operator”, while the Kremlin denies it. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen He talked about The “more serious” aggression against a critical infrastructure of Denmark and did not rule out any hypotheses, opinion supported by leaders such as Ukrainian President Zelenski and by EU spokesmen, who see a pattern of reckless actions by Russia. NATO celebrated meetings Under article 4condemned the violations and stressed that Rwill effort capabilities and deterrenceand some officials already contemplate the possibility of more forceful responses (even demolition) if these provocations are repeated. France and preparations. In France, the controversy has exploded after a Publication of Le Canard Enchaînéwhich revealed a letter sent in July by the Minister of Health, Catherine Vautrin, in which she asked French health agencies to prepare for a possible “major commitment” In March 2026. The document urged hospitals to be ready to serve several thousand soldiers during periods that could extend 10 to 180 dayswhich included both French and foreign troops. The news, despite proceeding from a satirical environment, generated accusations that Emmanuel Macron would be secretly planning the country to the war against Russia. The extreme right, represented by the Eurodiputa Thierry Mariani, It went further suggesting that a conflict would allow to suspend the presidential elections of 2027. The official clarification. The Ministry of Health He did not deny authenticity of the letter, but he clarified his goal: it was a Preventive Planning Faced with possible risks and threats that could affect the hospital system, including the arrival of a large number of victims of an international conflict. The measure, according to the Ministerial Crisis Center, sought to guarantee the capacity of the civil health system to absorb a massive flow of military patients in case France, as a member of NATO and ally of Ukraine, was indirectly involved in a war set. It was not, therefore, a war plan per sebut an exercise in advance of contingencies. Germany and preparations. It happens that Germany It has begun To explicitly plan how to face an eventual large -scale conflict between NATO and Russia, the scene that many alliance analysts place Around 2029. Reuters explained That the calculation that marks this preparation is as sober as disturbing: up to 1,000 soldiers Germans wounded per day may require medical care in case of an open confrontation, a figure that the inspector general of Health, Ralf Hoffmann, qualifies as realistic based on the intensity of the fighting and the units involved. Ukraine lessons. The war in Ukraine has radically changed the nature of the injuries. If the bullet wounds predominated before, today the panorama is dominated by the devastating drones effectsMERODERE AND EXPLOSIVE MORMERS, which generate amputations, burns and multiple trauma. Hoffmann Underline That the “death corridor” of ten kilometers on each side of the Ukrainian front, plagued by hostile UAVs, shows how immediate medical evacuations have become almost impossible: injured should often be stabilized for hours under constant fire before being able to be transferred. How to evacuate. With this horizon, Berlin is studying Expand your abilities of flexible medical transport, inspired by the Ukrainian experience with hospital trains. It is considered to incorporate trains, buses and a greater number of sanitary aircraft, with the aim of guaranteeing staggered evacuations: initial attention in the front, intermediate stabilization and final transfer to hospitals within the German territory. This medical logistics chain demands a robust, decentralized and capable system under air and electronic threat. The plan contemplates that the injured receive definitive care especially in civil hospitals, with an estimated volume of 15,000 reserved beds within a national total capacity of 440,000. The coordination between the military medical service and the civil health system will be essential, and the medical body of the Armed Forces, currently 15,000 troops, must be extended significantly to face the magnitude of the challenge. The Kremlin and article 5. Explained the Financial Times That all this climate of extreme anxiety in Europe possibly responds to a Moscow tactic: to demonstrate that the NATO collective defense clause, Article 5it lacks real value. A hesitant response to a provocation could open the door to Russia trying to “break down” small European states without facing the block as a whole. Scenarios such as a land incursion under the pretext of protecting Russian minorities in Baltic countries are part of the recurring fears of military planners. To do this, Moscow has uncertainty that surrounds Washingtonwhose contribution represents about 40 % of the military capacities of the Alliance in Europe. The unknowns Trump. The American factor is decisive. With units of Himars Artillery And tanks already deployed in the Baltic, the military presence is significant, but the key question is what Donald Trump would do in case of open aggression. Distrust is mutual: in Washington some see the Baltic as excessively ideological and aggressive against Moscow, while in Tallin the vote of the United States is remembered with Russia in the UN as An alert signal. The president’s volatility adds an unpredictable element: as well as surprising authorizing Attacks to IranI could react unexpectedly in a crisis in Eastern Europe. Between fear and dependence. The great European powers … Read more

The great Spanish rail giant had in his hands “the contract of the century.” Until France appeared

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It has been called “the contract of the century.” And it has not been for anything. CAF, the great Spanish rail giant, should be the winner of a huge contract to nurture the Belgian SNCB of trains that circulate on the conventional roads of the country. That is, by “the Belgian Renfe.” A contract that could reach 3,400 million euros. A contract that, now, is in the air after the claims of the French Alstom. “The contract of the century”. This has been called the pre -agreement between the Belgian SNCB and the Spanish CAF, confirmed only a few weeks ago by both companies In a statement in which the following was read: The Board of Directors of NMBS (SNCB-National Society of the Belgian Railways), taking into consideration the resolution of the State Council, has confirmed in this day CAF as preferred bidder of the contract for the development, manufacture and supply of the AM30 trains. In this way, the approval is given to continue the purchase process with the selected company, with the objective of closing the final adjudication of said Framework Agreement. This is a framework agreement with a maximum scope of units for 170,000 places, with an initial base commitment of 1,695 million euros (units for 54,000 places) in case of finally closing the agreement. French resource. This pre -agreement that includes a first operation of almost 1.7 billion euros and that could be folded in the future with the delivery of more trains for renew up to 50% of the fleet From the Belgian transport company, it has been appealed by Alstom, a French company that had also appeared to the contest. Guipuzkoa news He explains that the French company has launched the appeal to try to stop the contract, with the objective that this famous “contract of the century” falls on them, understanding that its offer was better than the Spanish proposal. What do they defend? In the Basque newspaper it is pointed out that Alstom defends its best position because the offer was 107 million euros cheaper than the Spanish proposal and that, in addition, they assured that Belgian labor would be used, which should be an argument of weight when it comes to being the chosen ones. Alstom expected their witch and charlei plants that employ 1,500 people to be decisive when obtaining the contract, they explain in Expansion. The situation is not new. Last April, the Belgium Council suspended the award and forced CNCB to return to the process, noting that the contract had not been awarded with total transparency. Human Rights. After that first closed door, CNCB once again chosen CAF as an ideal company to deliver the trains with which the Belgian fleet will be renewed. In their new report they pointed out that “European regulation prevents considering local presence factors in public procurement,” they explain in Expansion. But, in addition, in the review of the process, the Belgian court asked CAF to demonstrate that its activities meet “With international law and human rights”. Because? Because CAF works on a light subway line in Jerusalem that extends to Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. Yes indeed, In the Basque newspaper They emphasize that the Belgian Mobility and Climate Minister came to remove iron from this matter, highlighting that the country itself maintains diplomatic and economic relations with Israel. A thorny matter. The participation of CAF in the Light Metro of Jerusalem has raised Polvareda and is a stone more than the company has been found when receiving the so -called “contract of the century.” Amnesty International and Other associations In defense of the Palestinian people they demand that CAF leave the Israeli project. The minister on his side. For now, what has been defended by CNCB (and even Belgian minister himself) is that Not only should you look at the initial cost of the project. According to its reports, the Spanish proposal will mean savings with the passage of time to Belgian accounts since CAF trains consume less energy than those of Alstom. Specifically, it is ensured that the Spanish rolling material improves by 4% the technical criteria of the French company, taking into account the sale price of them but also the consumption of the trains provided, the conditions of the purchase contract and the calendar of deliveries to which CAF is compromised. Photo | CAF In Xataka | “Whoever wants to come, to invest”: Ouigo wanted to enter the Madrid-Galicia bird but it already sees it impossible before 2030

France and Morocco have allied to flood Europe with green ammonia. And compete directly with Spain

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In December 2022, in full energy crisis and with the intention of stop depending on gas and oil from Russia, Spain, Portugal and France joined To define the H2Med green hydrogen corridor. The idea was to start producing green hydrogen for electricity generation, something that Spain can contribute thanks to its reserves and Great surplus of renewable. In April 2024, Europe approved the two axes planned in Spainbut a few months later, France reached a parallel agreement with Morocco. This is the Chbika project, and is as ambitious as controversial. Chbika. Europa presumes being a Power in renewablessomething that has been revealed in recent months, but also wants import a huge amount of energy directly from Africa. According to Europe, it is “essential to meet the objectives of the European green pact And to reinforce energy security ”, and within these agreements is the signed between France and Morocco. In October 2024, taking advantage of the visit of the French president Emmanuel Macron to Morocco, and with the presence of King Mohammed VI, an ambitious plan for the industrial production of green hydrogen and ammonia was signed. Goals. This project is driven For a European consortium formed by TE H2, a Joint-Venture of the French groups Total Energies and Eren, but also with the Danes Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and AP Moller Capital. Their goals are: Build wind and solar infrastructure on land with 1 GW capacity. Green hydrogen production using the electrolysis technique thanks to Desalinated seawater. Use hydrogen to get 200,000 tons of annual green ammonia, mainly for the European market. Green ammonia. Apart from green hydrogen, which is used to generate electricity, the Green ammonia It is a compound formed by nitrogen and hydrogen that is achieved by electrolysis that uses renewable energies. The traditional process to achieve ammonia implies natural gas, so the use of renewables in the process makes it a process without CO₂ emissions. The main use of ammonia is as agricultural fertilizer, but it can also be used as a hydrogen bearer. It has a high energy density and is easier to transport than hydrogen (not needing cooling as extreme as H2), which makes it an energy vector to export hydrogen at long distances. In search of treasure. This agreement seeks not only to strengthen cooperation between Europe and Africa in energy matters, but also consolidates the position of Morocco as a key supplier of clean energy to the European Union. And it is aligned with the Repowereu program that intends to import 10 million tons of green hydrogen before 2030. Although the pact was signed in autumn last year, a few weeks ago the confirmation of land rights in which the plant will be built and advances in technical and legal agreements that settle the bases of the operations that will come below were made. Controversy. Now, the Chbika project is not exempt from controversy. On the one hand, it has been indicated as a Moroccan maneuver to strengthen its position in green hydrogen within Europe, competing directly against Spain. On the other hand, part of the territory destined for the project, in the Guelmim-Oed Noun region, is considered by agencies such as the UN as border or superimposed with areas of the Western Saharaoccupied by Morocco. Activist organizations They denounce that many of these energy projects in Morocco are building On occupied Saharawi territoriesand what is it about *Greenwashing operations* Through clean energy while they continue to oppress the Saharawi people. Spanish plans. Meanwhile … What does Spain do? Well, some of its companies, such as acting or cepsa, They have also signed with Morocco. The objective of the African country is that renewables represent 52% of their installed capacity for 2030 and green hydrogen is a means to achieve it. And, for this, a Moroccan government committee selected five consortiums to develop six green hydrogen projects with the intention of producing ammonia, steel and industrial fuel. Problem? Apart from the competition with Spanish projects, they will be developed in the aforementioned Guelmim-Oed Noun, as well as in Dakhla-Rio de Oro and LaAyoune-Sakia el Hamra, also occupied territories, which can increase diplomatic tensions With Spain and the Sahara. Image | Topsoe Xataka | The price of gas has already reached 2022 levels. Now the European industry depends on one thing: that the cold does not return

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