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While industrial production collapses in the European Union, in Switzerland is triggered. And it is an energy issue

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In the midst of the European energy storm, Switzerland seems to live in a bubble of prosperity. In a recent publicationthe geopolitical analyst Velina Tchakarova showed how the Swiss industry continues to grow in front of the European Union. And the data does not deceive anyone: in the first quarter of this year the industrial production of the Helvetic increased 8.5% year -on -yearwhile in Germany recorded last June A 1.9%collapse, the worst data in years. The contrast is even more evident in the long term: since 2011, Swiss industrial production It has grown almost 40%in front of the German stagnation. The Swiss road. True to its neutrality, but knowing how to position itself, the Swiss industry is dominated by sectors of high added value and low relative energy consumption, like pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. But here is the most revealing: that low energy consumption is not only efficiency, but also outsourcing (a sophisticated strategy of Green offshoring). An EBP consultant study for the Federal Environmental Office (BAFU) shows that two thirds of the environmental footprint of Switzerland They are generated outside their borders. The report Umwelt Schweiz 2022 Confirm this pattern: the country reduces its internal impact at the expense of moving it abroad. There are different examples that illustrate it well: the Roche company announced in May A new biopharmaceutical plant in Shanghai, the Lonza company operating in Guangzhou Or, the most striking case, Siegfried managing a global network with headquarters in different countries that allows you to distribute phases of the chain outside the Helvetic territory. Together, these movements illustrate how the Swiss industrial “miracle” retains the added value at home while displacing the most polluting and expensive part abroad. To this is added an electrical system less vulnerable to gas: the Hydroelectricity and the nuclear They represent a good part of their mix. The Labyrinth of the EU. At this time you are going through an industrial decline: Eurostat reported that in June the production fell 1.0% in the EU as a whole and 1.3% in the eurozone. The setback It was coming last yearwhen the manufacturing volume was 2% lower than in 2022. And Ing Think analysts They warn that European industrial production It remains 5% below two years ago, a prolonged stagnation signal. To this fall is added a perfect storm: high energy costsCO₂ and an internal debate about its energy model. France, With a reactor -based systemleads the block that defends nuclear energy as a backbone of the transition. Spain and Portugal, with solar and wind abundance, demand otherwise: more interconnections and networks To take advantage of renewable surplus. In addition, it is added The tireless search by the EU of looking for another output to stock up that it is not Russia in terms of gas. While Switzerland transfers its heaviest loads to Asia, Europe is enclosed in its own rules, paying CO₂ rights that further increase its energy intensive industries. Switzerland outsourizes, Europe internalizes. Switzerland harvest added value, Europe assumes added costs. The awkward contrast. Here the paradox emerges. Switzerland exhibits an expansion industry, favorable environmental statistics and a more stable electricity supply. Everything seems to indicate that it has found the perfect formula to prosper in the midst of European chaos. For its part, the European Union is paying the price If pioneer: its factories face much higher energy costs, their energy intensive industries lose competitiveness and their governments carry the pressure of meet strict climatic objectives. But Swiss success relies on a small print. The report itself Umwelt Schweiz 2022 He admits that two thirds of the country’s environmental footprint are generated outside their borders. That is, Switzerland retains at home the added value of its pharmaceutical and technological industry, while the energy cost and pollution are transferred to other places. That apparently virtuous model implies a strategic risk: to depend on global supply chains and expose themselves to political vulnerabilities in Asia. In climatic terms, the question is inevitable: are global emissions really reduced when Switzerland “is cleaned” at the cost of others getting more? Or, in other words, isn’t its industrial miracle with another way to outsource the environmental invoice? Forecasts On paper, Switzerland seems greener and more prosperous. But the true story is told in the chimneys of China and in the closed factories of Germany. The Helvetic miracle works, to a large extent, because the energy and climatic invoice is paid by others. While industrial production collapses in the European Union, in Switzerland is triggered. However, that balance, sustained in global chains and in others, could be broken when geopolitics tightens. The real unknown is not how much the Swiss miracle can last, but who is willing to pay his invoice. Image | Freepik and Unspash Xataka | Nuclear fever in the middle of AI: Uranium rises like foam while stumble

War has ceased to be a geographical issue

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It happened a few hours ago and is already considered by most analysts such as most important blow Kyiv from the beginning of the conflict. However, and beyond the reach that will have for the contest, the unprecedented attack of a swarm of Ukrainian drones in Russ The localized war. Remote surgical blows. We have told it for months. The fight that is taking place in Ukraine has changed forever the War concept For the use and appearance of an actor who has even created an unpublished military industry: The drones (low cost). In that sense, and although both sides have been developing their swarms, Ukraine, motivated by the lack of artillery and resources, has been elevated as a pioneer In many ways. Spiderweb. As We count todayin the last of them, in the operation baptized as “Spiderweb”, more than 40 aircraft were reached in various Russian air bases, including strategic bomber Tu-95 and TU-22m3, as well as one of the few early a-50 alert planes that still retains Moscow. The operation not only decreases the Russian offensive capacity tangible, but it compromises its long -range fleet, fundamental for missile attacks launched from Russian territory beyond the reach of Ukrainian defenses. However, the “distance” attack is just one more in the history of the contest. War has ceased to be a Purely geographical matter. The heart of the Russian Navy. In fact, in parallel to air attacks, Ukraine also He has managed to damage Seriously at the Black Sea fleet, a key source of Russian naval pride and power. A particularly symbolic example was the attack that left in flames A Russian Lanzamisile Cruisewhose ammunition exploded after a fire on board, forcing the ship to evacuate and causing serious structural damage. The analysts They compared their loss with the sinking of an American battleship in World War II or a modern aircraft carrier. Shortly after, at the beginning of 2024, a swarm of naval drones driven by aquatic motorcycles destroyed the ship missile launcher Ivanovets. Night images showed Russian soldiers fiercing frantically while at least two drones hit the ship’s helmet, causing massive explosions. These setbacks marked a chain of naval losses for Moscow that undermined the operational capacity of their fleet in the black Sea. Kerch attack. Another of the blows that serve as an example for this war “without soldiers or borders” was the attack to Kerch bridge In July 2023, one of the most symbolic infrastructure of Russian domain over Crimea. Inaugurated after the annexation of the Peninsula in 2014 and built for about 3.7 billion dollars, the bridge was essential for both the military supply and for everyday life in Crimea. The SBU, in coordination with the Ukrainian Navy, achieved bombard the structure through the use of an experimental marine drone. Although Moscow minimized the impact, he admitted the death of two civilians and considerable damage on the road lanes. The attack, beyond its practical consequences, was a direct blow to Putin’s personal prestige, who He had personally promoted The project as an integration symbol. A few weeks ago and as we counted, another unpublished action converted the first unmanned boat In war history: Yes, a marine drone threw missiles and knocked down a Russian hunt. Of Ukraine to the rest of the world. The war in Ukraine, therefore, has become The biggest laboratory Contemporary of Non -manned combat. From FPV drones launching mines to suicidal water motorcycles, new strategies are tested every day. The impact is not only tactical: the visibility of these systems and their low cost have accelerated the global race to dominate them. In Nagorno-Karabajfor example, the Turks allowed Azerbaijan to obtain A decisive victory No terrestrial superiority. United States, meanwhile, Impulsa Fleets of USVS under his Ghost Fleet initiativewhile China displays mother ships for unmanned sea swarms Like the Zhu Hai Yun. Russia Bet on UUVs for undercover mining and intelligence in the black Sea. All these actors share an objective: reduce human risk and increase the strategic scope without scaing conflicts visibly, because There are no borders. What is coming: ia. Given the limitations imposed by the electronic war, natural evolution points to the use of mass drones with artificial intelligencecapable of identifying and setting objectives without the need for direct communication with an operator. These UAVS They cannot be interferedbecause they do not depend on external signals. Although its deployment is still limited, pilots and manufacturers agree that they represent the immediate future of the air war. The possibility that electronic protection extends so much that conventional FPV makes obsolete drives a career for Develop tactic Able to guide drone swarms with full autonomy. Under that prism, drones will not only be more precise, but also more difficult to trackfaster in reaction and less vulnerable to remote deactivation. A point and apart. Many of the operations carried out in the Ukraine War have shown that there are no longer safe areas within the borders of a country at war. In SpiderwebUkrainian FPV drones were transported in camouflaged trucks such as mobile houses, crossed thousands of kilometers of Russian territory and were thrown just a few meters from strategic bases such as Belaya and Olenya, destroying or damaging those more than 40 bombers. These attacks were not only tactically successful, but they broke the notion of depth Strategic: even areas such as Siberia or the Kola Peninsula (considered for decades as impregnable) were available to improvised and economical armament. The operation, therefore, marks a radical transformation in the modern war: the rear has ceased to exist. There is no invulnerable nation. The phenomenon, in addition, is not exclusive to Russia. As The Wall Street Journal countedcurrent technological abilities (long -range drones, embarked, autonomous navigation systems) are eroding traditional geographical barriers. United States, China, Iran and Türkiye are developing swarms of drones that can be launched from civil, underwater or land platforms without depending on real -time operators. In short, war, as conceived in terms of delimited fronts and “combat … Read more

Issue ‘The Simpsons’ during the 24 hours 365 days a year on an exclusive channel

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Disney has announced the launch of a stream In Disney+ of ‘The Simpsons‘: 24 hours, seven days a week of broadcasting of the 35 seasons that so far the series has completed. It will be almost 300 hours, 767 episodes of the most popular series in the history of television, although for now it does not seem that the thing will leave the United States. It doesn’t matter: the important thing is that, above celebrations of the enormous of the legacy of the Fox series, it makes clear in which mirror, apparently outdated, the industry of the streaming. An idea as simple as symbolic. Who may want to sit down to see the episodes of ‘The Simpsons‘In chronological order? Since 2020 the episodes are released in Disney+ a few hours after their broadcast in Fox, and of course, the 36 -year historical of the series is available on the platform. But more with ‘The Simpsons’ than with any other series, the nostalgia effect works perfectly. Or do we not remember all those views at noon in Antena 3 of the golden age of the animation series? Visted in which, until the last Mommto, it was not very clear what episode we were going to see. It is not the only stream. Since September of last yearDisney+ is experiencing in the United States (although at no time they close completely to an export to other countries) with the continuous issuance of different types of stream. It is, on the one hand of selections of content of the platform, plus some live programming: they opened the experiment with ABC News Live, a preschool content playlist, Playlists Seasonal that have been rotating in times such as Christmas or Halloween, selections from the company’s success franchises (Marvel, Star Wars, Disney), a Playlist of classic and nostalgic content and another dedicated to documentaries, biopics and realities. The Xanadú of Linear Television. This Disney+ experiment is not complete Its inauguration in 2020: Netflix Direct. Behind all this, and from this new proposal of Disney+, a clear objective: escape from the saturation sensation That the immense catalog of the platforms place before us. Before the infinite choice syndrome, not choose at all. Nostalgia when TV was good. And as we said above, there is also some nostalgia for the times when our favorite weekly series was an event. Or that we always see the same series, as happened with ‘The Simpsons’, ‘The Prince of Bel-Air’ or other midday sitcom imposed some routines where we were very far from feeling saturated because there was too much to do. What was there, without more, and the nostalgia of those simpler times is also behind these decisions. The resilience of the usual TV. A recent study He claimed that more than half of the Europeans still had traditional television as a primary destination for their television hours, partly because of the customs acquired after years in front of the device. It is just another example of how old customs remain, or at least they transform: the Amazing growth of fast channels (To which this Simpson stream could belong if it were independent of Disney+), with 1900 linear channels in the US in 2024 compared to only 1,000 in 2023 it is good proof: we are not yet prepared to abandon the old customs, and ‘The Simpsons’ will try to benefit from it. Header | Fox In Xataka | For the first time after many, many years of drought, someone is talking well about a new episode of ‘The Simpsons’

It is not only economic issue, but of Chinese national pride

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The trajectory of ‘NE ZHA 2’ It is absolutely incredible. That it works in this way, like a real hurricane, a Chinese animation film, developed outside Hollywood and that has barely seen himself outside his country, leaves a good record of how weak the world box office is in front of the robust figures That China exhibits. This epic of mythological dyes is already The fifth highest grossing film in historyleaving behind the most successful ‘Star Wars’ movie of all time, ‘The Force Awakens’. Dizzy figures. Outside China, ‘Ne Zha 2’ has only raised about 31 million dollars, but within its country, it already has more than 2,054 million dollars. With bothAvatar‘ and ‘Titanic‘) And the historical’Endey me‘Marvel. The forecasts of the film producer, Maoyan, is to reach about 2.1 billion dollars after the premiere in Japan, Indonesia and most of Europe. It would be in that case still below ‘Titanic’ and its 2,257 million. A favorable context. This bombing occurs at a time when the world box office is showing worrying symptoms of exhaustion. In the United States, the box office has added This weekend Some scarce 54.7 million dollars, certifying the worst of the year. The most watched film of the week, ‘Novocaine’, has barely pocketed 8.7 million. And it is not a Hollywood thing: according to Comscore, in Spain we have had The worst weekend of March since 2021despite how very well the new Ruiz Caldera, ‘Wolfgang’ has gone. Even an enigma. The most amazing thing about this success, without a doubt, is that ‘Ne Zha 2’ is virtually unknown outside of China. Cinema fans and analysts attentive to the box office have heard of it, but it is very, far from the international fame of ‘Titanic’ or a movie of the Avengers. And yet, there is, rubbing with them. But it is that the Chinese population is sufficient to sustain a success as follows: in their country of origin, ‘Ne zha 2’ has sold more than 300 million tickets, a figure higher than the population of any country that is not India, the United States or China itself. It is 21% of the country’s population, a percentage already impressive. The reasons for a success. There are reasons for this success in China, completely alien to the rest of the world: it is the sequel to a 2019 film (which was already there the highest grossing animated film in history) and premiered the most important weekend of the year, the New Year. Of course, the box office increase, quickly overcoming international successes such as’Upside down 2‘Inflamed the film’s career, which accelerated the rate of income. Numerous companies came to buy tickets for their employees and give them the day off to see the movie. National pride. The film has become, for this reason, almost in a matter of patriotic responsibility: 138 Chinese animation studies collaborated in its creation, and in different media of international draft like ‘shine’ The film has been presented as a kind of culmination of the evolutionary tree of Chinese animated cinema. The expectation has made many spectators come to see it several times or are encouraged to repeat in IMAX format. The fact that this milestone serves to forget a Nefasta box office for China in 2024who lived a 25%drop, reinforces this feeling. Of course, the traditional Chinese legends that serve as the basis and the classic themes of the country’s family cinema have also helped that ‘NE ZHA 2’ reach the category of authentic milestone. In Xataka | Time trips and Peppa Pig are prohibited in China. Or at least, they cannot appear in their success series

The worst nightmare of the Atlantic Alliance is more than an investment issue

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That Donald Trump is not a NATO enthusiast is nothing new. He already showed him during His first mandatewhen he slid the possibility that the US took a step back in the Atlantic Alliance, and has underlined it several times since then, like candidate and elected president. But as the relationship It is tense With Europe and within its own team Voices are raised in favor of Washington to break with the Treaty of 1949a question arises, increasingly stronger: what would happen if the US is detached from NATO? To answer it, you need to review a little recent history, geostrategy … and also mathematics. An NATO without the US? Only the fact that The question this On the table It is already significant. Especially since the clouds that overshadow the future of the US in NATO do not arise from speculation or rumors, but from comments from high positions of Washington, including Trump himself, who in December, still as elected president, He complained that the Atlantic Alliance is “taking advantage of the US.” “They take advantage of us in trade, our cars or our foods are not taken. They do not wear anything. It’s a shame. And we defend them, so the blow is double,” Trump charged during An interview In NBC News. And when the journalist asked him if she would consider excluding NATO US in case she concludes that her treatment towards the US is not “fair,” repliedresounding: “Yes, of course.” The continuity in the alliance, he stressed, is conditioned to the whole of its members “pay their bills.” A background rumor. It was not the first time that there was talk of NATO’s departure. It hasn’t been the last. Six years ago The New York Times public that in 2018 Trump already threatened with the withdrawal of NATO. And that was during his first term. The second has started just a month And it is already marked by distancing between Washington and some of its historical allies, such as Canada or the EU. The clearest (and graphic) test was the negotiating table created by the US and Russia to end the Ukraine War without reserving a seat for Ukraine or the Union. The trend seems to also go in Crescendo, without visos that it will break. In the last days We have seen Europe closing rows Around Ukraine, Trump and Zelenski showing Prime Time Your total lack of harmony Already Elon Musk, Trump’s great ally, Chairing the debate on the output of the US USA. Yesterday the businessman shared a tweet that he said “it’s time to leave NATO and UN” next to the next harvest message: “I Agree”. An NATO without the US? The same question of the principle, but with a different sense, that of viability: Is a NATO with Washington in profile or in which the US directly step back? A few days ago, during An interview In the BBC, the NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, asked if the rest of the allies could replace the US hole in case he withdraws his military support from Ukraine, his response was revealing: that scenario is not raised. Click on the image to go to Tweet. A “100%risk”. After insisting that the US “wants to bring Ukraine to a lasting peace”, the high position of NATO slid: “We go beyond this issue. It is crucial that we all remain together in this: USA, Ukraine, Europe, that we take Ukraine to Peace. That is exactly why Trump struggles, so we all fight.” Zelenski, who It has been ambitioning for some time The adhesion of your country to NATO, a perspective that seems farther today, after contacts between Moscow and Washington, is even clearer. In Another talk Recent with journalists, he warned of the consequences that Trump would have to step back in NATO, not only for his country, but for the whole of the continent: “The risk of Russia from occupying Europe is one hundred percent if the United States withdraws from NATO.” Weight question. The key is the weight that Washington has in NATO. The agency’s estimates by 2024 provided that the US be The third country of the alliance that higher percentage of its GDP allocated to defense, 3.4%, only behind Poland and Estonia. Washington’s commitments go beyond the North Atlantic Treaty and given the size of its economy, it is estimated that US defense spending represents near two thirds of NATO total. As for costs, the body applies A cast Based on national income and the US stands out again as one of the greatest taxpayers, with almost 16%, like Germany. The United Kingdom is in third place with 11% and France occupies fourth place, with just over 10%. Of percentages to dollars. World Population Review has created A map in which the contribution of each country attached to NATO in 2023 is even more graphic, both in the percentage of GDP and in funds dedicated to investment in defense. The US stands out with 3.49% and 860,000 million of dollars, well above From the second country, Germany. As a picture is worth a thousand words, it is good to take a look at the graphic prepared in 2024 by Visual Capitalist to understand the weight of US investment in defense compared to the other 31 countries of the Alliance. The other approach. It matters what the United States contributes, but it also matters to what extent the rest of the countries attached to NATO contribute. Trump has already publicly demanded the rest of the nations that raise their contribution until reaching 5% of his GDP, even above what the US himself allocates. And he does not seem willing to change his strategy. “I told the countries ‘I will not protect them unless you pay,’ and they started paying. That amounted to more than 600,000 million dollars,” He presumed In December. The 5% barrier is well above the 2% that NATO itself has been marked, the latter percentage that probably not to … Read more

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