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the time change is no longer useful

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Twice a year we repeat the same ritual: moving the hands of the clock, checking the microwave, setting the alarm clock. A small gesture that changes our routine and that, for decades, they said promised savings that almost no one sees anymore. Although this year could be one of the last. Pedro Sanchez has announced that the Government will propose to the European Union to eliminate the seasonal time change for next year. But the question that concerns us here is: does it really help to save energy? Boating soon. According to an analysis prepared by Papernestthe time change barely moves the electricity consumption needle. The report, based on data from Red Eléctrica de España (REE) between 2020 and 2024, reveals that the time adjustment today has an almost imperceptible effect on light demand. “The time change no longer has a clear effect on electricity consumption. In several years an increase has even been observed during the afternoons,” states the report to which we have had access. More in depth. The analysis compares the week before and the week after each time change for five consecutive autumns. The results show very small variations – between -6% and +2% – and without any pattern. In three of those five years, consumption in the period of greatest domestic activity (from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.) even increased between 0.3% and 2.4%. Only in 2022 was a significant drop in consumption recorded, close to 6%, although analysts attribute this to the exceptional energy context of that autumn: record electricity priceslower general demand and a more moderate use of heating. A specific decrease that, according to the report, is not directly related to the time change. Source: Papernest (2025), with data from Red Eléctrica de España (REE). In summary, Spanish homes consume practically the same electricity before and after the change. Neither natural light nor temperatures seem to have an appreciable influence. “This reflects that the impact of the time change on the electricity consumption of current homes is practically insignificant,” concludes Papernest. New habits dilute the supposed savings. If decades ago the time change served to make better use of daylight and reduce spending, today the structure of electricity consumption has completely changed. The report points to several factors: teleworking, electric heatingconnected devices and continued use of household appliances that previously only worked in certain strips. In other words, consumption is no longer concentrated only in daylight hours. Electrical activity has been “delocalized” within the day, and the idea that turning the clock back or forward an hour can make a notable difference is no longer true. Furthermore, the document itself highlights that the small variations between weeks cannot be attributed to changes in temperature or solar radiation: there is no consistent correlation between meteorological conditions and demand oscillations. And in the pocket? Neither. Papernest calculates that the average savings per household barely reaches 1.4 euros per year, even in the most optimistic scenario. The calculation is based on the average annual consumption per home in Spain (3,487 kWh, according to Iberdrola), an average reduction of 1.4% after the time change and an average price of €0.132 per kWh. “Even in this optimistic scenario, the economic effect of the time change is practically insignificant compared to the annual electricity bill,” the report summarizes. Translated into an understandable figure, the time adjustment saves about €0.12 per week, or the equivalent of one hour of an LED bulb on. It is a symbolic gesture rather than a measure of efficiency. With savings out of the equation, the debate has moved to another area: that of the body and mind. The energy argument has become obsolete. So what reasons remain to maintain or eliminate the time change? The focus on health and well-being. The consensus between specialists from the Spanish Sleep Society (SES) and other scientific institutions it’s clear: winter time – the one now adopted in October – is the most appropriate from a biological point of view. International studies support this idea: maintaining winter time promotes rest, reduces fatigue and improves morning safety. On the contrary, permanent daylight saving time can generate constant “social jet lag”, especially in the westernmost areas of the country, where sunrises would be delayed until after half past nine in December. The clock no longer changes anything. Five years of data and the same result: changing the time does not save energy, money, or effort. The human being is an animal of habit, which is why it has survived the change of time due to the inertia of the symbolic gesture. Currently, electricity consumption depends more on our routines, climate and technology than on the sun coming through the window. Perhaps, as my colleague titled: “The country that never tires of hurting itself: the truth about the time change is that it is a controversy in which we can only lose.” This weekend we will turn the clocks backbut the time that really counts—that of consumption and rest—no longer moves. And it may literally be time to stop moving it. Image | FreePik and Unsplash Xataka | Without knowing it, Pedro Sánchez has also reopened the other great melon of the hour in Spain: whether Galicia is in his zone or not

Rosalía paralyzed the center of Madrid yesterday by surprise because she is no longer promoting an album: she is selling a great event

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Beyond her music, which in these cases always takes a backseat, it is clear that when we talk about Rosalía’s ability to sell her stuff, we are dealing with an artist who is one step ahead of her compatriots. In fact, in a certain sense Rosalía plays in a league of teasers, previews and management of expectations that places her closer to Taylor Swift either bts that together with Van Gogh’s Ear. What happened. Rosalia paralyzed the center of Madrid last night with a presentation as brief as it was chaotic of their new album ‘Lux’, turned into an unexpected act of performance urban: at 8:45 p.m., Rosalía began a live on TikTok in which he announced that something would happen at 10:00 p.m. in the Plaza de Callao. Thousands of fans turned out within minutes, drawn by the promise of a performance. The artist, who was personally driving a white car through Madrid while it was being recorded live, briefly appeared running along Gran Vía before taking refuge in the Capitol Hotel.​ Make yourself Lux. Shortly after, all the screens in Callao and the theaters in the area faded to black to finally show the cover of ‘Lux’: Rosalía dressed in white, with a kind of straitjacket and veil, golden lips and a blue background with the title of the album in the center, and with visual reminiscences (the posture of a certain serenity, the headdress, the title of the album) that clearly recall a nun. The album will be officially released on November 7, it is the artist’s fourth studio after ‘Motomami’ and comes preceded by some visual clues in recent days, such as the artist’s presence in Times Square or the enigmatic presentation a few days ago of a score. Not Kings, but a queen. The launch of Rosalía’s new album, Lux, began with a great promotional action in Times Squarein New York, on October 19, 2025, where his image and the title of the album occupied the iconic light screens of the place.​ There the images that we ended up seeing in Callao were shown for the first time in the chaotic (but very studied) presentation yesterday. About the sheet music. More enigmatic was the publication in your newsletter of some scores apparently titled ‘Berghain’ (which suggested a musical turn towards string arrangements, apparently opposed to the electronic spirit of the Berlin club with the same name as the scores). Thousands of fans began to interpret the score with different instruments and upload their versions to TikTok and X, turning the enigma into a collective experience of musical creation. This phenomenon is reminiscent of the way in which, before the release of ‘Desphá’Rosalía already showed for the first time her ability to play with expectations and not follow the hitherto immovable rules of marketing, all based on leaks and direct and apparently improvised communication with fans. New narratives. Rosalía is a good example of a new way of promoting albums, which have ceased to be isolated musical works and have become a constant call for attention. Taylor Swift is the ultimate example: months before the launch of her ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ we have had promotion on social networks, a wedding announcement and a successful documentary. Rosalía already is giving interviews in which he talks about a personal turn in recent years that will be reflected, of course, in the new album. The personal and the professional blur, with clues that the album could have religious content, anticipating an intimate and profound transformation. And very profitable. In Xataka | Rosalía released a statement to avoid the controversy about Gaza. There are those who think that it has not been clear enough

US soybean silos are bursting because China no longer buys them. The threat to the US is used oil

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The trade war and the exchange of tariffs between the US and China is having repercussions at many levels and agriculture is one of the sectors that is suffering the most from the consequences. Due to its size, China is one of the main importers of food products and is using this advantage to punish its rival. They are doing it with beef and also with soybeans. Now Trump has a threat to China. What has happened? China was the main US customer in the soybean business, but the trade war is reconfiguring the game board and soybeans are being one of China’s main weapons in this tug of war. The decision to stop buying soy is wreaking havoc in the US and now Trump pushes to stop buying another product from them: used cooking oil. The president has used your social network Thruth to describe China’s move with soybeans as “an act of economic hostility” and has assured that “we can easily produce cooking oil ourselves, we do not need to buy it from China.” Why it is important. The used cooking oil market moved 6.9 billion dollars in 2024. This oil is used to create biofuels, and with increased recycling and sustainability initiatives, the figure is expected to double by 2032. The United States is the world’s largest buyer of used oil and China is its largest supplier. According to data from the Department of Agriculture American, in 2024 the United States bought 43% of all the used oil produced by China. The soy problem. China was the US’s main customer in the soybean business. Until not long ago, they bought 40% of all production from them, a figure that was reduced to 20% in 2024. Despite the reduction, it was still a lot: 27 million tons and a value of 12.8 billion dollars. In 2025 only about 16 million tons have been imported until July, but this was just the beginning. Currently, China has further reduced imports of US soybeans, which aim to be practically zero in the last quarter of the year. Instead, China is doing business with other countries: Brazil and Argentina. Consequences. American farmers’ silos are bursting with soybeans. They count in the New York Times that states like North Dakota sold more than 70% of their production to China and now find that their best customer no longer buys from them. It is an enormous amount to be able to place before production goes to waste. The damage to the agriculture sector is enormous, with farms projecting losses of up to $400,000 this year. Tensions. A few days ago we learned of Beijing’s decision to consolidate its dominance over rare earthsa strategic sector in which they are the key player. The United States responded with a 100% tariff which is accumulated to those already imposed previously. Trump exploded on social Thruth against the measure, but in one of his usual changes of position, days later posted another message in which he lowered his tone: “Don’t worry about China, everything will be fine. The highly respected President Xi has only had a bad time.” The threat to stop buying used oil represents a new escalation of tension, although there are voices like that of Rush Doshi, Biden’s former security adviser, They believe that it will not have great consequences and in Beijing it will be seen as a sign of weakness. Image | Pexels 1, 2In Xataka | Holland has just declared war on China in the most important battle of the century: control of semiconductors

Clean energy has made the electricity market cheaper. But what we pay for is no longer energy: it is stability

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Spain is a unique case in Europe: it has managed to ensure that gas and coal barely influence the wholesale price of electricity – only 19% of the hours this year, compared to 75% in 2019. according to a report by Ember. Thanks to this, the average Spanish wholesale price was 32% lower than the European one. However, something does not add up: the consumer still paying an expensive billwhy doesn’t the receipt go down? Let’s go in parts. Since 2019, Spain has added more than 40 GW of new solar and wind capacity, doubling its renewable power. In the first half of this year, 46% of the electricity generated was clean. But on April 28, 2025 came the blow of reality: the great blackout. A concatenation of electrical failures and lack of operating margin left much of the country in the dark for hours. The ENTSO-E preliminary report discarded that renewables were the direct cause, but it did reveal a structural problem: the Spanish network was not prepared for so much intermittent generation without sufficient flexibility. Since then, Red Eléctrica operates the system in “reinforced mode”activating more combined gas cycles to stabilize the voltage. According to Emberthat strategy has come at a high cost: in May, gas-based network services represented 57% of the final price of electricity, compared to the usual 14% before the blackout. The underlying problem. Spain produces more clean electricity than ever, but cannot fully take advantage of it. The lack of grid, storage and interconnections is leaving thousands of solar and wind megawatts unused. Although there is now a plan in place to reinforce those connections that act as a bottleneckthe reality is that when there is excess clean energy and it cannot be exported, it is “thrown away”. He curtailment (wasted renewable energy) has tripled since the blackout, going from 1.8% to 7.2%, according to Ember. Furthermore, the country continues to lag behind in flexibility. Regarding investment in batteries, it arrives late: Spain is placed in fourth position in the electricity market, but it is thirteenth in batteries, with only 120 MW installed. Despite to have planned a total of 16,000 MW planned for 2030. The reason for these problems is structural and can be understood with the investment made in networks of such only 30 cents For every euro allocated to renewables, half the European average. In other words, we have more sun than cables. The cost of fear. The problem is not only technical, but economic. As the analyst Javier Blas recalledoperate in reinforced modeeither since April it has cost consumers an additional billion dollars. And that is just the beginning: the approval of the new re-reinforced mode could add another 3,000 million euros and open the door to increases in fixed rates by the marketers, as the UNEF has detailed in statements to El Español. The cost of keeping the network “in tension” is transferred directly to the invoices, even if the wholesale price is low. Ember’s own report points out that the wholesale market price It only covers approximately half of the electricity bill, the so-called “energy component.” The rest – networks, tolls, taxes, stability of the system – does not decrease even if electricity becomes cheaper at source. Therefore, falling wholesale prices do not automatically translate into lower bills. The ghost of the blackout again. Six months have been enough for another feared blackout to return. Red Eléctrica warned of “sudden voltage variations” in the peninsular system, so serious that it asked the CNMC for permission to urgently modify several operating procedures. Among the measures: more room for maneuver to act before the operating day begins and stricter control of reactive voltage. An express adjustment of the country’s electrical operations to contain the ups and downs of voltage, just as my partner described. The REE itself insisted that “there is no imminent risk of a blackout,” but the truth is that no one is calm. “The grid operator has been operating in reinforced mode since April 29, activating gas plants with greater intensity and reducing solar and wind energy,” Blas pointed out. Every day that passes in these conditions adds costs that end up being passed on to customers. The ghost of the blackout is still there: less visible, but more expensive. From patches to clean flexibility. After the blackout a reform package was approved (Royal Decree-Law 7/2025) with measures to strengthen the network and promote storage. Although the decree was rejected in Congress, many of its provisions are being applied in other ways. Among them, the installation of eight synchronous compensators stands out—devices that stabilize voltage without using fossil fuels—and a portfolio of 2,600 MW of batteries, of which 340 MW already have permission. From Ember has been calculated that the compensators will involve an investment of 750 million euros, but will save 200 million a year by reducing the use of gas for network services. The objective is clear: to move from gas as a crutch to clean flexibility as the basis of the system. The Spanish paradox. Spain is Europe’s energy laboratory: the country where renewables have shown that they can reduce the wholesale price, but also where it is clearer to see how expensive it is to sustain this transition without robust networks. As explains Ember’s reportaround 50% of the Spanish electricity bill corresponds to the energy component, which has become cheaper. The rest are system costs and from there, although the megawatt-hour does not cost less, the final bill barely goes down. A major challenge. Spain has shown that it can have the cheapest electricity in Europe and, at the same time, one of the highest bills.Because the energy transition is not measured only in megawatts or solar panels, but in cables, stability and trust. The challenge now is not to produce more clean energy, but to make it arrive—and be paid for—fairly. Image | Unsplash Xataka | A ghost haunts Spain: the ghost of another massive blackout caused by network tension problems

the cities are no longer yellow

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Astronauts who have been lucky enough to travel to space more than once in the last decade are privileged witnesses of a chromatic change on a planetary scale. From their vantage point 400 kilometers high, they have been able to see that the cities, previously faint spots of amber, now shine with an intense white light. It’s not a metaphor. It is the visible trace of one of the most rapid and widespread infrastructure transformations in recent history: the great replacement of public lighting. We have retired the old sodium vapor streetlights and massively embraced LED. This change, driven by regulation in favor of energy efficiency, has redrawn the night map of the Earth, a phenomenon that can be seen more clearly from space. The invention that earned a Nobel Prize in Physics. Old sodium vapor lamps, especially low-pressure ones, were monochromatic in nature. They emitted light in a very narrow band of the spectrum, resulting in that characteristic and ubiquitous yellow-orange hue that tinted our streets and skies. LED lights work in a completely different way. His breakthrough, which earned Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physicswas the invention of the high-efficiency blue LED. By combining this blue LED with a phosphor coating, it was finally possible to generate a bright and affordable white light. This diode is not only more efficient (exceeding 300 lumens per watt, compared to 16 for an incandescent bulb), but it offers a much broader spectrum. Southern Europe in 2025 from the International Space Station. Image: Don Pettit The cities changed color. To the eyes of a night observer in space, cities have gone from being yellow to glowing bluish white. Milan is the paradigmatic case: it completed its transition to LED in 2015, and appears in an ESA comparison with before and after photos taken by astronauts André Kuipers and Samantha Cristoforetti. But it is by no means the only case. Los Angeles was a pioneering city: it ordered the replacement of 140,000 streetlights in 2009. Buenos Aires modernized its lighting with smart LED streetlights between 2013 and 2016. New York finished replacing 500,000 bulbs in 2023. Barcelona plans total remote management of public lighting by 2028. But India is the country that carries out the largest replacement in the world, with more than 13 million LED streetlights already installed. The b side of this transformation. Like any revolution, the LED has a dark side. Light is cheaper, so cities are not only replacing old streetlights, but also increasing the number of light points or their intensity. The result is that we are leaving a brighter planet, where it is most difficult to escape of light pollution. The statistics indicated otherwise, but it must be taken into account that light pollution is measured by satellites, and satellites are partially blind to blue light. This means that the actual increase in light pollution, especially that perceived by human beingsis much higher than official figures indicate. To make matters worse, blue light is the one that interferes the most with our biological clock, and can affect the quality of sleep, in the same way that disorients migratory birds and the moths. The future is adjustable. The solution is not to go back to sodium. The efficiency of the LED is indisputable. The key, as with any technology, is in its application. The next phase of this transition is not about changing light bulbs, but about installing smart streetlights. It is estimated that almost one in four streetlights will be smart by 2030. When connected, they can regulate their intensity depending on the time or traffic, detect faults in real time and collect environmental data. This remote management will allow one of the new lighting maxims to be applied: using only the necessary light, when and where it is needed. In parallel, other solutions have emerged to protect biodiversity, such as red light streetlights being tested in Nordic cities so as not to disturb the bats. and the idea of ​​bioluminescence as an organic way of generating light without any electrical consumption and with minimal environmental impact. Image | The Iberian Peninsula in 2012, by astronaut Don Pettit In Xataka | Why sunlight doesn’t illuminate space: solving the question a child sent to the ISS

As of October 9, transfers in the EU will no longer be the same. A new bank verification enters into force

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You open the bank’s app, choose “Transfer,” you go, you write the name of the recipient and confirm. Today, October 7, 2025, if that name does not match the holder of the account, the usual thing is that the payment is executed without alerts. As of October 9, that everyday gesture changes. In the EU, starting with the entities of the euro area, the bank must check if the name you enter with that of the IBA before authorizing the shipment. The idea is simple, that money reaches who owes. Until now, European banks were not obliged to verify whether the beneficiary’s name coincided with the IBA before executing a transfer. The system was based only on the account number, which allowed payments to be processed even if the name was not correct. Some countries, such as the Netherlands, had developed verification mechanisms such as the “Iran-Naam Check”, but there was no common norm. The new European regulation corrects that disparity and establishes a uniform procedure for the entire union. Three possible messages. When the bank taught the name and the Iban, the answer may be one of three. Total coincidence. If the data fully coincide, the transfer will be validated without additional notices. Partial coincidence. If there are slight differences (a changed letter, an absent tilde or an abbreviated name) an alert will appear indicating partial coincidence. In that case, the user may review the data or continue under their responsibility. Without coincidence. If there is no coincidence, the system will warn that the data does not quote, without showing the real name of the holder for privacy reasons. WARNING, DO NOT BLOCK. Receiving an alert does not mean that the payment is blocked. The system is designed to inform, not to prevent the operation. Even if the name and the IBAN do not coincide, the user will be able to move forward with the transfer under their own responsibility. What changes is the transparency of the process. Before it was not known if the data fit; Now the bank will show you before executing the shipment. The final decision will remain yours. People and companies. The verification is based on the identification data of the account holder. If the beneficiary is a natural person, the system will compare its name and surname as it appears in the receiving bank. In the case of a legal person (for example, a company or association), the verification will focus on the company name or the commercial name. The usual errors, such as tildes, abbreviations or second denominations, can generate partial coincidences, but will not prevent the transfer, as we mentioned above. Standard, immediate and periodic. Verification will apply to both standard and immediate transfers, without additional cost for the user. One of the payment entities that have detailed how the process will work is Nickel. As explainedperiodic transfers scheduled before October 9, 2025 will not be subject to the beneficiary’s verification, although its execution is subsequent. Only the coincidence in the new orders created from that date and once, at the time of configuring them, will be verified. Absence of verification. As Nickel also explains, it can happen that the system fails to check the name with the Iban. This ruling, the company points out, may be due to communication problems between banks or specific technical limitations. In that case, the entity indicates that it will also proceed with the transfer, without the system confirming the coincidence of the beneficiary. Nickel herself advises to cancel the operation if there are doubts about the recipient, especially when it comes to high amounts or unusual accounts. The origin of the measure is in the rebound of bank fraud in the last decade. The European institutions, headed by the Commission and the ECB, considered that the system knows a mechanism for verifying the beneficiary to prevent erroneous payments and identity robberies. With the new standard, each transfer will include an automatic verification that acts as an informative filter. It does not delay shipping, but offers a warning that did not exist before. Vishing, Smishing, Romance and BEC. Behind the regulatory change are the fraud that proliferate in Europe and that banks try to stop new verification tools. He Vishingfor example, use false phone calls to impersonate bank employees or authorities. He SMISHING It arrives by SMS with messages that simulate being from the bank or a shipping company. They have also extended The romantic scamswhere the victim’s trust is gained before asking for money, and the CEO fraudin which an alleged manager orders urgent and confidential transfers. Beyond the differences between modalities, almost all bank scams share the same pattern. They use psychological manipulation techniques to generate urgency, fear or trust, and rely on identity supplant to seem legitimate. In most cases, they seek to make the user a bank transfer, taking advantage of emotions such as concern, empathy or hierarchical pressure. The verification of the beneficiary does not eliminate these risks, but it can act as a pause that allows to detect the deception in time. Before clicking “Send.” Stop for a few seconds can make a difference. Before confirming a transfer, it is convenient to calmly review the name and I went from the recipient, especially if it is a new account or a recent change. If the bank notice indicates a partial or without coincidence, the most prudent is to verify the data by a different channel (a direct call or an official website). And, given the minimal suspicion, canceling is always better than regretting. The new system also reaches companies and professionals who make frequent payments. Each transfer will require confirming the coincidence between the name of the beneficiary and the IBAN, which will add a small step to the usual process. For companies, it can be an opportunity to reinforce their treasury controls and detect internal fraud attempts or supplier supplant. It is not a lock, but a filter of verification. What banks, what countries, what deadlines. The … Read more

China has just tested the Fujian with three different aircraft. Electromagnetic catapult is no longer theory, it is practical

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The cover of an aircraft carrier has always been a tension scenario: each takeoff is a millimeter choreography that combines steel and noise. For more than six decades, that scene was dominated by steam. Now, with him Fujianthat script is also written with electricity. We do not talk about an experiment behind closed doors, but of a public demonstration on deck with several different aircraft, the type of test that records that the electromagnetic catapult is operating in real conditions. The demonstration was not accidental. Coincided with the acts by the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War against Japan and World War IIwhere prominence also passed through the sea. According to the Ministry of Defensethe Fujian served as a platform for three different models: the J-15T and J-35 and the KJ-600 early alert plane. The three performed cares assisted by catapult and land cable landings, marking a new chapter in their preparation. What was tested. According to Xinhuathe training phase served to check the interaction between the electromagnetic catapult, the braking system and different types of aircraft. The Navy explained that the exercises confirmed the “good compatibility” of the teams and that the Fujian already has the capacity of “full initial deck.” In practice it means that you can organize launch and recovery operations sequenced, preparing the land for a broader integration of its embarked wing. From steam to electromagnetism: For a long time, the steam catapults marked the take -off routine on the aircraft carriers. The EMALS American system introduced a paradigm shift: instead of pressure steam, it uses accumulated electric power and converted into a launch force. It is already installed in the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), first aircraft carrier to incorporate it. The US Navy ensures that It offers greater acceleration control, less wear on airplanes and cover and ability to boost light drones to heavy fighters. The transition reduces maintenance and opens the operational range. Three aircraft, three mission. The J-15T is the evolution of a veteran naval hunting, adapted to operate with catapults. Its role is to ensure the continuity of the aviation embarked while more advanced models arrive. The J-35, on the other hand, represents the jump to the fifth generation: a furtive hunt with greater scope and modern sensors. The KJ-600 trio completes, an early alert plane designed to expand the combat group and coordinate operations to hundreds of kilometers. Where is the Fujian today. The aircraft carrier began its sea tests in May 2024 and, since then, it has followed a progressive calendar. Systems and stability check settings have been made, while rehearsing cover operations. The latest exercises show that the ship has an initial capacity to operate with different aircraft, but has not yet reached the level of full operability required by an aeronaval group in long -range missions. Only two with Catapult EM. To date, only two armed ones have managed to integrate electromagnetic catapults into service aircraft carriers. As we point out above, the United States operates electromagnetic catapults in the Gerald R. Ford and China class has demonstrated its operation in the Fujian. These experiences place both armed in a high technological category, while the rest of the countries continue to use steam systems or lack catapults. It is a milestone that reflects the investment and industrial development scale necessary to get here. What changes on deck. Electromagnetic catapult opens a range of possibilities that were previously more limited. It allows drones or light aircraft with the same security as a great tonnage, and does so with less vibration and mechanical stress. For the crew, the work environment is quieter and less hot. In practice, it means that the aircraft carriers can sustain a greater number of daily exits with less maintenance between operations. Of the test at the service. The maneuvers carried out this month do not yet equate to have a fully operational aircraft carrier. The Fujian is still in an early phase: he needs to accumulate many more hours of sea and certify maneuvers in diverse conditions before being able to hold a embedded wing in the campaign. The Ministry of Defense speaks of a milestone, but also recognizes that it is missing. The transition from the demonstration to real capacity will be gradual and will depend on how systems respond in more demanding scenarios. The Fujian has gone from being a project wrapped in speculation to an aircraft carrier that shows on deck how its electromagnetic catapult works. The achieved this month is a visible milestone, although still partial. China thus enters a small club in which each electric takeoff is much more than a technical gesture: it is a declaration of intentions. The future will say how long it takes to convert these maneuvers into the routine of a fleet capable of operating with continuity on the high seas. Images | Ministry of National Defense (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) | In Xataka | For years the Airbus A380 symbolized European power against Boeing. Today it survives as a colossus without the kingdom

The threat of Russia is no longer drones, they are now combat airplanes violating airspace. And Europe has taken its fighters

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First it was a swarm of Russian drones entering Poland’s airspace. NATO He responded with fire. That first order of Moscow has had its continuation last Friday, when three Russian fighters did the same In Estonia. NATO response was overwhelmed again. However, threat and tension, far from lesseing, has increased a few hours ago About the Baltic Sea. Russian incursion in Estonia. As we said, the recent cross of three fighters MIG-31 Foxhound Russians in Estonia’s airspace All alarms In Eastern Europe and has tested the immediate response capacity of NATO. The intrusion, occurred on The island of Vaindloo In the Gulf of Finland, it was carried out without flight plans, with transponders off and without communication with the Sonian air control services, which makes it an act deliberately provocative. Given this, the new Eastern Sentry operationwith the takeoff of Italian F-35 fighters of the Baltic Air Police Detachment, to which devices were added Swedes Jas 39 flu and Finnish fighters to intercept and monitor intruders. The episode It is not isolated: It continues at the entrance of 19 Russian drones in Poland and Romania the previous week, of which several were demolished by Polish and Dutch forces, and others crashed into Polish territory. These incidents demonstrate a Russian pressure pattern that seeks to test the limits of the alliance. Reactions. The political response was swift. Estonia Foreign Minister He described the incursion of “unprecedented provocation” and demanded rapid measures of political and economic pressure. Prime Minister Estonia communicated directly with NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, who reiterated the solidarity of the organization and the need for reinforce deterrence In the region. In addition, Estonia announced that he will convene for the first time in his 34 years as a member of the United Nations an emergency meeting of the Security Council. European diplomacy, in the voice of Kaja Kallas, He condemned the act As a “dangerous provocation” and stressed that it was already the third violation of community airspace in a few days, promising more support for the defense of the Baltic states. In parallel, voices in Lithuania They suggested that the alliance should be willing to demolish intruder planes, remembering the Turkish 2015 precedentwhen a Russian Su-24 was killed on the border with Syria. A Russian Mig 31 The legal framework. Given the situation, Estonia considers invoke article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which forces allies to joint consultations provided that one of them feels threatened their safety, such as Poland already did After the intrusion of Russian drones. The activation of this mechanism reflects the severity with which the threat is perceived and the need to show cohesion against Moscow. The Eastern Sentry operation, launched days before, initially provides rapid reaction fighters and an anti -aircraft, with the perspective of extending from The Arctic to the Black Sea to cover the entire eastern flank of the alliance against drones, missiles and airplanes. General Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Commander Allied in Europe, He stressed that this new frame will allow a more flexible and focused defense where it is required. A Russian IL-20m German interception. A few hours ago the tension It has increased. The output of Two German Eurofighter From the Rostock-Laage base to intercept a Russian IL-20M recognition plane on the Baltic Sea, it has placed the region again in the center of the climb between Moscow and NATO. Again, the Russian apparatus flew with the transposeor off, without responding to contact calls, an increasingly common pattern in incursions that are interpreted as acts of deliberate provocation. The incident came just days after the incursion of the three Russian Mig-31 fighters. The strategic pulse of Moscow. For Poland and Baltic states, incidents are not isolated, but part of a sequence of calculated steps of harassment. Just a few days ago and as we count, Warsaw denounced Lat the fall of 19 Russian drones In its territory, and its Foreign Minister described the Kremlin strategy as a series of incremental provocations, always on the edge, but without reaching the open conflict. The discovery of remains of a lure drone in a Polish forest reinforces the sensation constant trial of NATO defenses. Meanwhile, the Kremlin He denies responsibility and accuses the West, in particular to the United Kingdom, to lead an alleged “warmongering field” that prevents progress in the resolution of the war in Ukraine. The fissures of the West. One of the most disturbing elements in this context is the perception that the United States could be reducing its commitment in the defense of the eastern flank. Bloomberg cited Kremlin sources according to which Putin would have concluded, after his summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, that Washington will not significantly reinforce kyiv’s military capacity, which encourages Moscow to intensify its attacks to force Ukrainian capitulation. In parallel, The Guardian told that reports that the White House plans to reduce security assistance to Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, despite being countries directly exposed to Russian pressure. Trump’s statement, stating that he would defend Europe but without deepening details, adds strategic ambiguity at a time of high voltage. Climbing risk. Baltic and Central European leaders agree that the situation is dangerously approaching A breakdown. The president of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, warned that, although Russia strives to clearly exceed red lines, erratic logic and incompetence at different levels of the Russian system could lead to a real clash, whose responsibility would fall on the Kremlin. From Prague, President Czech Peta Pavel He claimed an answer Firm and united from NATO, remembering that giving in to the aggression would be equivalent to “turning your back on evil.” The shadow of a greater conflict plans on the northeast European: each new air incursion or drone attack increases the probabilities of a calculation error that precipitates a direct confrontation. Ukraine and a way. Under this climate of growing hostility, President Zelensky declaredbefore traveling to the UN, who would be willing to meet with Putin, even with Trump, to explore A political exit. … Read more

The ‘Great Chinese Firewall’ is no longer just from China. Now it is sold as a digital repression platform to other countries

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A mass filtration of 500 GB of data in the form of more than 100,000 documents has exposed a disturbing initiative. A startup called Geedge Networks is selling to governments around the world censorship systems modeled from “China Great Firewall“. There are at least three countries that are already applying restrictive measures similar to those of the Chinese government. What happened. The leaked documents By interseclab They reveal how one of the investors in Geedge Networks is Fang Binxing, one of the “Parents” of the “Great Cortaygos of China”. Researchers have discovered that the startup markets an advanced surveillance platform that includes hardware for data centers and Software for local officials. Intercepting everything. The central component of that platform is the so -called “Tiangou Secure Gateway” (TSG), a tool that acts as a gateway and that is installed in the data centers to process the Internet traffic of an entire country. All these data scan when this component is passed, and from there it is filtered and can be blocked so that it does not reach its destination. If the traffic is not encrypted, you can intercept and collect passwords and email addresses. If it is, it makes use of deep inspection systems of packages and automatic learning to detect and block tools that avoid these censorship systems, especially VPN. Three countries already have their own “Great Firewall”. A consortium formed by media and human rights organizations (such as Amnesty International) identified that this platform is active in Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Myanmar. In Geedge Networks they have published job offers for engineers willing to travel to countries such as Malaysia, Bahrain, Algeria and India, and are also hiring Spanish and French translators, which makes it clear that the startup is developing an important expansion strategy. TSG control panel capture for Myanmar showing real -time traffic categorized in total bandwidth and active connections. Source: Interseclab. An example of control: Myanmar. In a filtered capture the TSG control panel for Myanmar And it looks how the system was monitoring 81.6 million Internet connections simultaneously. In February 2024, Geedge hardware equipment had been installed in 26 data centers and 13 ISPS of Myanmar. There, 281 popular VPN tools were identified and the blockade of 54 of them was prioritized, including Expressvpn or Signal. Growing suspicions. Although researchers warn that documents are not a definitive proof that this system is causing specific blockages, Geeedge’s records show strong correlations with certain important events of the past. In Ethiopia for example the TSG system changed passive monitoring mode to “active detention” of traffic just a few days before a remarkable internet blackout that It occurred in February 2023. There are other cases in which connectivity problems in these countries have coincided with events registered in TSG in filtered documents. And incidentally, new Digitgal repression techniques in China. Among the leaked documents are also spoken of an active project in the Xingiang region, in China. There the startup has collaborated with Chinese research institutions to test a distributed firewall model instead of using a centralized one. There are also alarming experimental functions such as the ability to create relationships between users, group individuals according to applications that use or triangular the location of users through mobile base stations. And the dreaded punctuation systems. There is also a prototype in which a kind of Score for the reputation of each userand that would apply individually. Each user would have a base score and to increase it would have to add personal data such as their national identification, data that allow facial recognition or employment details. If this score does not exceed a certain limit – or decreased due to the use of a VPN detected and prohibited, for example – the Internet access would be denied to the citizen. Government malware. Another of the threats posed by this system is Geedge’s ability to Inject malware In user traffic. An operator could identify which website visit a user and, if it does not use a safe protocol (HTTPS), could inject malware directly into that connection. The researchers explain that although these experimental options are being tested in China, once the technology is mature, any foreign client can request those same functions on their platform to update it and have it available. Image | Ran Liwen In Xataka | The ‘China Great Firewall’ becomes even harder and blocks all TLS 1.3 traffic with ESNI to avoid aisos to prohibited destinations

Spacex has bought the spectrum that Echostar failed to use: the new space race is no longer to get to space, it is to control it

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Spacex He has bought the Telecommunications spectrum of Echostar for 17,000 million dollars. Thus eliminates its main competitor in direct mobile satellite services. Why is it important. This operation Turn Spacex the great dominator of satellite mobile connectivity. It will no longer compete with land operators, but will control the entire value chain, from the rocket to the phone. Spacex has paid 8.5 billion in cash and another 8.5 billion in shares for the AWS-4 and H-Block spectrum licenses of Echostar. In addition, it will cover additional 2 billion in interest payments of the Echostar debt until November 2027. The movement eliminates the Direct-To-Cell constellation project of Echostar, which had been the main Starlink competitor in satellite mobile services. Charlie Ergen, founder of Echostar, has sold all his spectrum after decades to accumulate it without developing his own network. In Xataka Satellites are becoming some of the luminous objects in heaven. It is a serious problem In detail. Spacex will use these frequencies to Develop your next generation constellation Starlink Direct-to-Cell, which promises “a remarkable change in performance” with respect to the current one. Technology works with existing LTE phones without the need for hardware, firmware or special applications. It currently operates with more than 600 satellites offering 4G coverage to more than six million users on five continents. The backdrop. This purchase arrives just before the Apple event, where the new ones will be presented iPhone 17. There are those who speculate that Apple could reconsider their association with GlobalStar after seeing how Spacex eliminates competitors buying the entire spectrum available. Between the lines. Spacex does not move by investment return to use, but by strategic domain. As you have already done in satellite connectivity by lowering prices aggressively to stop Amazon Kuiper, now it seeks to completely control the satellite mobile market before mature. Yes, but. The new AWS-4 and H-Block frequencies are not compatible with current phones. Spacex will need manufacturers as Apple to include them in future devices. If Apple does not cooperate, Musk has already threatened to create his own “Starlink” phone. {“Videid”: “X8ywtec”, “Autoplay”: False, “Title”: “First video call with Starlink Direct To Cell”, “Tag”: “”, “Duration”: “22”} And now what? This operation leaves competitors as AST Spacemobile in a specially complicated position. AST needs to raise 400 million in the next few weeks just to stay afloat, Spacex already dominates in launch speed and satellite development. The transaction also solves the FCC investigations on Echostar. With this sale and the previous one of another AT&T spectrum package for 23,000 million, Echostar seems to go to a gradual settlement of its operations. Outstanding image | Spacex In Xataka | Spacex has just published unpublished images of the “Rostized” Starship. A unique perspective of his shock after the toughest reentry (Function () {Window._js_modules = Window._js_modules || {}; var headelement = document.getelegsbytagname (‘head’) (0); if (_js_modules.instagram) {var instagramscript = Document.Createlement (‘script’); }}) (); – The news Spacex has bought the spectrum that Echostar failed to use: the new space race is no longer to get to space, it is to control it It was originally posted in Xataka by Javier Lacort .

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