Category: News
Olympic downhill champion Breezy Johnson adds an engagement ring to her gold haul
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Olympic downhill champion Breezy Johnson didn’t add to her medal haul during the women’s super-G on Thursday.
The American star left Tofane with something precious anyway: an engagement ring.
Johnson’s longtime boyfriend, Connor Watkins, proposed to her near the finish line while surrounded by members of the U.S. Ski Team.
Reciting lyrics from the Taylor Swift song “Alchemy,” Watkins slipped a ring of blue and white sapphires set in white gold on the ring finger of Johnson’s left hand. She tearfully accepted, then turned the ring toward the sea of cameras to celebrate a dream that turned into reality.
2026 Winter Olympics: Meet the medalists from the United States
“It felt fitting to combine two of my loves,” Johnson said. “It’s a special place at the Olympics. I feel like there’s a lot of mystique around it.”
She then added with a laugh, “Also you get free photography.”
The two met on a dating app a few years ago, with Watkins totally unaware that Johnson happened to be one of the best skiers on the planet. It wasn’t until Watkins asked about 10 minutes into their first date (a brunch) that Johnson fessed up.
“I was a little taken aback,” said Watkins, who works in construction back in the U.S. “I had very little knowledge of ski racing and everything else, and over the last couple of years I’ve grown to really love it.”
The joyful proposal came about an hour after Johnson’s bid to reach the podium in the super-G ended with a crash high on the course when her right pole clipped a gate and sent her tumbling into the catch fence. Johnson pulled herself to her feet and was unharmed.
Down in the finish area with the ring in his pocket, Watkins briefly wondered if he might need switch to Plan B just in case the moment wasn’t right.
Turns out, having Watkins there was exactly what Johnson needed.
“I was feeling kind of stupid, which I think is kind of the moment you want the people you love around you, like when you’re just feeling dumb and childish,” Johnson said. “You’re like, ‘Tell me that I’m OK.’ Just seeing him, ‘It’s nice to see you,’ and let’s go commiserate together. And then, obviously, everything else happened.”
Something that took an already surreal stay in Cortina to another level entirely.
“I think most people want to peak at the Olympics,” Johnson said. “I just extra peaked.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/12/olympics-breezy-johnson-engagement-ring/
UNICEF advierte que el reclutamiento infantil por grupos armados en Haití se triplicó en 2025
Por DÁNICA COTO
SAN JUAN (AP) — El reclutamiento de niños por parte de grupos armados en Haití se triplicó el año pasado, a medida que la pobreza y la violencia se profundizan en el atribulado país caribeño, de acuerdo con un nuevo informe de UNICEF publicado el jueves.
El aumento se produce al tiempo que la violencia de las pandillas desplaza a una cifra récord de 1,4 millones de personas en todo Haití —más de la mitad de ellas niños, que, según expertos, quedan expuestos y vulnerables.
“La magnitud del aumento definitivamente es una sorpresa. Eso es devastador”, dijo Geeta Narayan, representante de UNICEF en Haití
Naciones Unidas estima que entre el 30% y el 50% de los integrantes de grupos armados son niños, y que se recluta a algunos de tan solo 9 años, señaló Narayan en una entrevista telefónica.
“Cuanto más pequeño es el niño, más se le puede controlar”, explicó. “Tienen menos capacidad para resistirse, para ser disruptivos… Se les puede coaccionar para que hagan cosas horribles”.
Se espera que el secretario general de la ONU ofrezca un desglose de cuántos niños fueron reclutados el año pasado en su informe anual sobre Haití en los próximos meses.
Las pandillas controlan aproximadamente el 90% de la capital de Haití, Puerto Príncipe, así como extensas zonas de la región central del país.
Por lo general, los niños actúan como espías, transportan municiones y armas, y a menudo se les encarga vigilar a personas secuestradas, añadió Narayan.
Por su parte, las niñas suelen enfrentar violencia sexual y se les asignan tareas domésticas, como cocinar y lavar ropa.
“En muchos casos, el niño o la familia sí recibe algún tipo de pago”, comentó.
Informes anteriores de la ONU han señalado que los pagos pueden oscilar entre 30 dólares a la semana y varios cientos de dólares al mes.
Narayan observó que, en ocasiones, se paga a las familias para que entreguen a un niño, y apuntó que no tienen opción dada la pobreza extrema del país.
Más del 60% de los casi 12 millones de habitantes de Haití vive con menos de 4 dólares al día, y cientos de miles de haitianos pasan hambre o están cerca de la inanición.
Narayan añadió que UNICEF ha recibido reportes anecdóticos de que a los niños en grupos armados se les droga y desarrollan una adicción.
“Eso hace que el niño dependa aún más del grupo armado”, expresó Narayan, y agregó que esos grupos pueden resultar atractivos para los menores. “No hay alternativa para estos niños. El grupo armado ofrece armas, poder, comida e identidad”.
Aproximadamente 500 niños que antes eran miembros de pandillas han escapado o han sido detenidos por las autoridades durante operativos en los últimos años, pero reintegrarlos es difícil, sostienen expertos.
Actualmente, UNICEF ayuda a esos niños colocándolos en un lugar seguro donde reciben atención médica por posibles heridas o por drogadicción, y luego se reúnen con consejeros y trabajadores sociales que intentan contactar a su familia.
“Los niños asociados con grupos armados no deben ser tratados como perpetradores”, subrayó en un comunicado la directora ejecutiva de UNICEF, Catherine Russell.
Gran parte del éxito de la reintegración depende de la edad y el género del niño, de cuándo se unió a un grupo armado y de cuándo fue liberado, señaló Narayan.
Otros factores incluyen si su familia o su comunidad quiere que regrese.
“En algunos casos, ha habido una ruptura”, dijo. “Hay tanto estigma asociado a esto que no quieren recibir al niño de vuelta”.
Algunos de los casos más difíciles son los de adolescentes mayores, indicó Narayan.
“Si tienes a un adolescente de 18 años que ha estado en grupos armados durante cinco años, ese muchacho no va a volver a la escuela”, afirmó, y añadió que Haití necesita opciones de aprendizaje o formación profesional, y que UNICEF necesita hasta 30 millones de dólares para llegar a todos los niños.
Narayan dijo que tiene esperanza de que se ayude a más niños a medida que la actual misión respaldada por la ONU, encabezada por la policía de Kenia y que lidia con falta de personal y de fondos, se transforme en los próximos meses en una llamada fuerza de supresión de pandillas, que tendrá más poder.
Afirmó que el actual primer ministro y otros funcionarios del gobierno también están comprometidos con liberar a los niños y reintegrarlos.
“Hay voluntad política en los niveles más altos”, manifestó. “Es realmente importante que aprovechemos esta oportunidad”.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Jordan Steele is Highland’s all-time leading scorer. But she pushes younger sister Avery to new heights too.
In a tight-knit family with five children, Highland’s Jordan and Avery Steele share an especially strong bond.
Jordan Steele, a record-setting 5-foot-9 senior guard/forward, and Avery Steele, an up-and-coming 5-9 sophomore guard/forward, are the two youngest siblings in the family and have played alongside each other for two seasons.
“Every day in practice, we do this drill at the beginning, and Avery’s always my partner,” Jordan Steele said. “I feel like she’s grown just from doing that. I always try to challenge her.”
Avery Steele has been trying to meet that challenge all season.
“Me and Jordan’s last year together, I feel like I’ve had to step up a lot,” she said. “I’m going to have to step up a lot next year, so I might as well step up now. She gives me a lot of pointers.”
Jordan Steele knows what she’s talking about. She has led the Trojans to three sectional championships and recently became their all-time leading scorer.
Highland’s Jordan Steele (11) looks to make a play during a Class 3A Calumet Sectional semifinal against East Chicago Central in Gary on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Mandy Coppinger / Post-Tribune)
Jordan and Avery Steele have won the past two sectional titles together and will try to win their second straight Class 3A regional title on Saturday, when Highland (18-6) will play Culver Academies (21-5) at Winamac.
“Being able to do it senior year is definitely a big one,” Jordan Steele said. “Especially not being able to do it my sophomore year and not getting the fourpeat, that’s what motivates me. I hated that feeling my sophomore year. It just felt like we should’ve won, and we didn’t. So it’s a big motivator for me.
“Playing with these girls is something I don’t take for granted.”
Jordan Steele, who has led the Trojans in scoring in each of her four seasons, is averaging 23.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.9 steals. She scored her 1,833rd career point on Jan. 20 to break the record set by 2001 graduate Jenny DeMuth, who was the Indiana Miss Basketball runner-up as a senior and then starred for the Hoosiers.
“There was a lot of face-guarding last year, but there’s a whole lot more double-teaming and triple-teaming this year,” Highland coach Eric Kundich said. “So she’s had to find other ways to score, whether it’s rebounding and finding putbacks or getting to the basket more often and drawing fouls. She’s a great free-throw shooter. She’s just become a better all-around player.”
Jordan Steele had moved past her sister Taylor, who was No. 2 on the all-time list with 1,569 points, on Dec. 16. Taylor Steele, a 2017 Highland graduate, played at Eastern Illinois and will soon be a dentist in the Region.
Jordan Steele wasn’t sure she would eclipse that total, let alone DeMuth’s. She will go into the regional with 1,906 points.
“It means a lot to me,” Jordan Steele said. “I remember my junior year when coach came in, we were talking about breaking my sister’s record. He was like, ‘What do you think about that record?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know.’
“I really didn’t want to talk about it because I was nervous I wasn’t going to break it. Just him pushing me to do something I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to.”
Highland’s Avery Steele dribbles the ball during a Class 3A Calumet Sectional semifinal against East Chicago Central in Gary on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Mandy Coppinger / Post-Tribune)
But Avery Steele believed it was possible.
“She was talking to me that she wasn’t going to get that scoring record that’s hung up there, and I kept telling her that she can do it and that she needs to believe in herself,” Avery Steele said. “I’m just proud of her for that. It’s like a proud little sister moment.”
Jordan Steele doesn’t hesitate to pump up her younger sister, saying she is “more than capable” of averaging at least 15 points next season. Avery Steele, who is averaging 6.1 points, a team-high 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 steals, took just one shot in Highland’s first two games of the season but then scored 10 points on 15 shots in the third game against Kankakee Valley.
“Avery’s playing really well,” Kundich said. “She’s really stepped up this season. Early in the season, she was very shy shooting the ball and just very timid on the floor overall. But then she finally broke out and finally started shooting the ball. After us begging for quite some time, she finally came out of her shell a little bit.
“What’s really brought Avery out of her shell is the role she plays for us in the paint. She’s our best defender in the post. She’s also our best rebounder. She’s not all that tall, but she does a great job of blocking out. We’re very limited in size, so she plays that role for us.”
Avery Steele, who Kundich believes can become a 1,000-point scorer, posted 14 points in the sectional semifinal against East Chicago Central and added 11 points in the sectional final against Griffith.
“Griffith’s zone threw us off in the first half,” Kundich said. “At halftime of that championship game, I made it a point to tell the guards that she needed to touch the ball basically every time down. We had to run our offense through Avery on Saturday night.
“Although she’s not a captain, she’s a really good leader on our team. She just has a fun personality. She’s always joking around with her teammates and the coaching staff. That brings us together as a group and builds our team chemistry.”
Highland’s Avery Steele (21) runs down the court as her sister Jordan Steele (11) handles the ball during a Class 3A Calumet Sectional semifinal against East Chicago Central in Gary on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Mandy Coppinger / Post-Tribune)
Avery Steele, who also plays volleyball, is beginning to fulfill the potential that others see in her.
“Jordan holds Avery to a higher standard,” Kundich said. “She saw last year that Avery had the potential, but a lot of it wasn’t coming out. She’s an excellent basketball player, and I don’t know if she quite believed it last year. She’s starting to see it now. As a coach, with Jordan being gone, we’re going to need to see a lot of it next season.”
The Trojans hope to extend this season for two more weeks. Then Jordan Steele, who is also a standout softball player and cross country runner, is expected to finalize her plans for college. That decision represents something of a reversal.
“I think I’ll end up playing in college,” she said. “A year ago, I probably wouldn’t have said that. I probably would’ve said I don’t want to play at all. Like, ‘No.’
“But I’ve talked to Taylor, I’ve talked to a lot of people about it, and they said they regretted not playing a sport in college when they had the opportunity. Taylor said, ‘Wait until the end of your senior season and you’ll feel differently.’ I don’t want to only have a few more games left.”
Jordan Steele isn’t ruling out a reunion with Avery on the court.
“If Avery wants to play in college, she definitely can play with me,” Jordan Steele said.
CME Explores First-Ever Rare Earth Futures Contracts
CME Explores First-Ever Rare Earth Futures Contracts
CME Group is drawing up plans for what could become the first-ever futures contract tied to rare earths, according to three people familiar with the matter, offering governments, companies and lenders a potential tool to manage exposure to a market long dominated by China, according to Reuters.
The proposed contract would track neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), typically traded together and used to produce permanent magnets found in electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, drones and fighter jets. While discussions are ongoing, no final decision has been made. Liquidity remains a concern, as rare earth trading volumes are small compared with most established metals markets.
Rival exchange operator Intercontinental Exchange has also examined launching rare earth derivatives, though two sources said its efforts are at an earlier stage. CME declined to comment, and ICE did not respond to requests for comment.
Reuters writes that volatile pricing has been a major obstacle for Western rare earth projects seeking funding. Banks have been wary of backing new mines and processing facilities because producers lack reliable ways to hedge against sharp price swings. According to Shanghai Metals Market data, NdPr prices in China have surged roughly 40% this year to their highest levels since mid-2022, after sliding by half in the 15 months through May 2023. Currently, benchmark prices are set in China and reflected in assessments by agencies including Fastmarkets and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
China controls about 90% of processed rare earth supply, complicating Western efforts to diversify sourcing. Rare earths — a group of 17 elements essential to electronics, defence systems and the energy transition — have become a strategic priority. The U.S. recently introduced a $12 billion strategic stockpile and formed a preferential trade bloc with allies focused on critical minerals. Last July, Washington agreed to a multibillion-dollar package with MP Materials that included a 15% stake and a price floor linked to NdPr.
A futures contract could help both producers and industrial buyers, including EV manufacturers, manage price risk more effectively. “It’s such a key missing piece of the puzzle for the industry right now,” one source said.
CME, already active in lithium and cobalt futures markets, recently reported quarterly profit ahead of Wall Street forecasts, with average daily trading volumes climbing 7.5% to a record 27.4 million contracts.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/12/2026 – 09:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/cme-explores-first-ever-rare-earth-futures-contracts
Bajan solicitudes de asistencia pública por desempleo en EEUU, siguen a niveles sanos
Por MATT OTT
WASHINGTON (AP) — La cantidad de estadounidenses que solicitaron prestaciones por desempleo disminuyó la semana pasada y se mantuvo dentro del rango históricamente saludable de los últimos años.
Las solicitudes de ayuda por desempleo para la semana que terminó el 7 de febrero bajaron en 5.000, a 227.000, frente a la semana anterior, informó el Departamento de Trabajo el jueves. Esa cifra está básicamente en línea con las 226.000 nuevas solicitudes que los analistas encuestados por la firma de datos FactSet habían pronosticado.
Las solicitudes de prestaciones por desempleo se consideran representativas de los despidos y se acercan a un indicador casi en tiempo real de la salud del mercado laboral.
El promedio móvil de cuatro semanas de las solicitudes de desempleo, que suaviza parte de la volatilidad semanal, subió en 7.000, a 219.500.
El número total de estadounidenses que presentaron solicitudes de prestaciones por desempleo para la semana anterior, que terminó el 31 de enero, aumentó en 21.000, a 1,86 millones, indicó el gobierno.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych barred from racing in Olympics over helmet honoring war dead
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych, a likely medal contender at the Milan Cortina Games, was barred from racing Thursday after refusing a last-minute plea from the International Olympic Committee not to use a helmet that honors more than 20 athletes and coaches killed in his country’s war with Russia.
The decision came roughly 45 minutes before the start of the competition and ended a three-day saga in which Heraskevych knew he was risking being pulled from the Games by wearing the helmet that the IOC says breaks rules against making statements on the field of play.
The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation said his decision to wear the helmet was “inconsistent with the Olympic Charter and Guidelines on Athlete Expression.” He wore the helmet in training, but the IOC asked for him to wear a different helmet in races. It offered concessions, such as wearing a black armband or letting him display the helmet once he was off the ice.
“I believe, deeply, the IBSF and IOC understand that I’m not violating any rules,” Heraskevych said. “Also, I would say (it’s) painful that it really looks like discrimination because many athletes already were expressing themselves. … They didn’t face the same things. So, suddenly, just the Ukrainian athlete in this Olympic Games will be disqualified for the helmet.”
Ukraine’s Vladyslav Heraskevych starts a men’s skeleton training session at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who was slated to be in Cortina d’Ampezzo to see Alpine skiing, went to the sliding center instead to meet Heraskevych. She was waiting at the top of the track when he arrived around 8:15 a.m., and they met privately. After about 10 minutes, Coventry was unable to change Heraskevych’s mind.
“We didn’t find common ground in this regard,” Heraskevych said.
Tears rolled down Coventry’s face after the meeting. The Olympic champion swimmer made clear that she wanted a different outcome, and the IOC said the decision was made with regret.
“As you’ve all seen over the last few days, we’ve allowed for Vladyslav to use his helmet in training,” Coventry said. “No one, no one — especially me — is disagreeing with the messaging. The messaging is a powerful message. It’s a message of remembrance. It’s a message of memory and no one is disagreeing with that. The challenge that we are facing is that we wanted to ask or come up with a solution for just the field of play.”
Coventry and Heraskevych agreed that the helmet isn’t clearly visible during races anyway, given that sliders are zipping down the icy chute at around 75 mph. That, the IOC hoped, was the window to a compromise. Heraskevych would not budge.
“Sadly, we’ve not been able to come to that solution,” Coventry said. “I really wanted to see him race today. It’s been an emotional morning.”
Heraskevych said he would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but the race went on without him. The first two runs were Thursday, the last two are Friday. Regardless of what CAS says, if anything, his chance to race in these Games is gone. The IOC is letting him keep his credential, meaning he can remain at the Olympics as an athlete — just not a competing one.
About a dozen Russian athletes are being allowed to compete at the Olympics as neutral individuals along with seven Belarusians. They are not allowed to compete under their national flags or anthems. Heraskevych has spoken out several times about why he believes they shouldn’t be at the Olympics and said the IOC’s decision “plays along with Russian propaganda.”
The decision drew immediate condemnation from officials in Ukraine and some athletes.
“Sport shouldn’t mean amnesia, and the Olympic movement should help stop wars, not play into the hands of aggressors,” Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media. “Unfortunately, the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych says otherwise.”
“Disqualified. I think that’s enough to understand what the modern IOC really is and how it disgraces the idea of the Olympic movement,” Ukrainian skier Kateryna Kotsar added on Instagram. “Vladyslav Heraskevych, for us and for the whole world, you’re a champion. Even without starting.”
The IOC had sided with Ukraine’s top slider before. When he displayed a “No war in Ukraine” sign after his fourth and final run at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the IOC said he was simply calling for peace and did not find him in violation of the Olympic charter.
This time, Heraskevych said he believes there are inconsistencies in how the IOC decides which statements are allowed. Among those he cited: U.S. figure skater Maxim Naumov bringing a photo of his late parents — former pairs world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were among the 67 people killed in a plane crash on Jan. 29, 2025 — to the kiss-and-cry area after his skate in Milan this week, and Israeli skeleton athlete Jared Firestone’s decision to appear at the opening ceremony wearing a kippah that bore the names of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches killed in the 1972 attack during the Munich Games.
“A competitor literally placed the memory of the dead on his head to honor them,” Heraskevych wrote on Instagram. “I frankly do not understand how these two cases are fundamentally different.”
Firestone said he admired Heraskevych. “I think he’s a man with strong values,” he said.
In Milan, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said if athletes were allowed to display messaging without restrictions on the field of play, “that would lead to a chaotic situation.”
“Sport without rules cannot function. … If we have no rules, we have no sport,” Adams said.
Heraskevych was fourth at the world championships last year and was among the fastest in training leading into the Olympic races. A medal was certainly within reach, but to Heraskevych, the helmet mattered more.
“The International Olympic Committee destroyed our dreams,” said Mykhailo Heraskevych, the slider’s coach and father. “It’s not fair.”
AP’s Julia Frankel, Vasilisa Stepanenko and Graham Dunbar contributed.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/12/olympics-vladyslav-heraskevych-barred-helmet/
NYC Mayor Urges State Lawmakers To Pass Tax Hikes On The Wealthy, Corporations
NYC Mayor Urges State Lawmakers To Pass Tax Hikes On The Wealthy, Corporations
Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times,
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on state lawmakers Wednesday to approve a 2 percent personal income tax increase on the city’s wealthiest residents as well as a hike in the corporate tax rate in a bid to close a multibillion-dollar budget gap.
The mayor testified in a New York State Senate 2026 budget hearing about how the city’s projected deficit had decreased from $12 billion to $7 billion.
He attributed the improvement to “assuming an aggressive posture on savings without compromising city services, incorporating updated revenue and bonus estimates, and using in-year reserves.”
Mamdani said nonetheless that New York remains “placed on a ledge,” and needs more revenue from high earners and businesses.
“I believe the wealthiest individuals and most profitable corporations should contribute a little more so that everyone can live lives of dignity,” Mamdani, a democratic socialist, said in prepared remarks.
“That’s why—along with raising the corporate tax—I’m asking for a 2 percent personal income tax increase on the most affluent New Yorkers.”
The mayor will release the city’s preliminary budget next Tuesday. He conjectured the personal tax surcharge, proposed to affect those earning more than $1 million annually, would close the remaining deficit by nearly half of what’s remaining. Mamdani also underscored his campaign pledge to increase the state’s corporate tax rate from 7.25 percent to 11.5 percent.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislature must approve any tax changes.
In her budget presentation last month, the governor expressed opposition to any such hikes.
“We’re able to make transformative investments in our future. Without raising taxes. Without saddling the next generation with mounds of debt.”
Mamdani during his campaign promoted progressive reforms to fund proposals such as free public transit, rent stabilization and housing programs, universal child care, and a $30 minimum wage, leading to his upset win over more moderate Democrats.
He called for a 2 percent surcharge on high earners on the campaign trail.
Estimates suggested it could create approximately $4 billion annually to support increased public services and affordability programs, as well as offset costs for broad social investments while not saddling middle- and low-income residents.
France’s experiment with a similar surtax on high incomes underperformed revenue projections.
It yielded €400 million in its first year against an expected 1.9 billion euros. The tax changes led to taxpayer optimizations, relocations, and implementation delays.
The New York mayor’s office has not detailed timelines or projected economic impacts, and state lawmakers are expected to consider the proposals in upcoming sessions.
Meanwhile, California voters will consider a proposed billionaire tax on the November 2026 ballot, which would impose a one-time 5 percent tax on residents with more than $1.1 billion in assets.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/12/2026 – 08:45
India se acerca a comprar cazas Rafale y aviones de patrulla naval
Por RAJESH ROY
NUEVA DELHI (AP) — Un panel del gobierno indio dio su aprobación preliminar el jueves para la compra de aviones de combate Rafale y aeronaves de patrulla marítima, en acuerdos valorados en miles de millones de dólares, informó el Ministerio de Defensa de India.
Las compras forman parte de un acuerdo aprobado para un conjunto de productos de defensa por un valor de 3,6 billones de rupias (39.740 millones de dólares).
Mantener el poder aéreo es una prioridad estratégica para India, que enfrenta persistentes desafíos de seguridad a lo largo de sus fronteras con sus rivales con armas nucleares, Pakistán y China.
El ministerio no proporcionó un desglose del número de Rafale o de aeronaves P-8I que se comprarán, ni del costo.
Sin embargo, un funcionario indio con conocimiento directo del asunto dijo a The Associated Press que el Consejo de Adquisiciones de Defensa, encabezado por el ministro de Defensa Rajnath Singh, dio luz verde para la adquisición de 114 aviones de combate multifunción Rafale de Francia y seis aeronaves de vigilancia marítima P-8I de Estados Unidos.
El funcionario habló bajo condición de anonimato, ya que no estaba autorizado a hablar con los medios.
India ya opera dos escuadrones de aviones de combate Rafale y el año pasado firmó un acuerdo para comprar 26 variantes navales del caza furtivo para la armada. También opera aeronaves Boeing P-8I para tareas de reconocimiento en la región del océano Índico.
La fuerza aérea de India cuenta actualmente con 29 escuadrones de combate, muy por debajo de los 42 que en su momento respaldó el gobierno. Cada escuadrón está compuesto por 16-18 aviones de combate.
La aprobación del panel requerirá ahora la autorización del Comité del Gabinete sobre Seguridad de India, presidido por el primer ministro Narendra Modi. Se espera que el acuerdo de los Rafale se anuncie tan pronto como la próxima semana, para coincidir con la visita del presidente francés Emmanuel Macron con motivo de una cumbre internacional sobre el impacto de la inteligencia artificial.
La adquisición de aviones de combate multifunción impulsará significativamente las capacidades de disuasión de la fuerza aérea india, señaló el ministerio, y añadió que la mayoría de los aviones se fabricarán en India.
Las aeronaves P-8I reforzarían las capacidades de vigilancia marítima de India, particularmente en el océano Índico, en medio del aumento de las actividades navales chinas.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Un vistazo al lanzamiento inaugural del cohete europeo Ariane 64, en cifras
Por SYLVIE CORBET
PARÍS (AP) — El cohete europeo Ariane 6 hará un potente debut el jueves con una nueva configuración de equipos, al volar con cuatro propulsores para transportar los satélites de internet de Amazon.
El lanzamiento tendrá lugar en el Puerto Espacial de Europa, en Kurú, Guayana Francesa.
El buque insignia de la industria europea de cohetes compite contra pesos pesados en un mercado global muy disputado, del que forma parte SpaceX, el líder del mercado, propiedad de Elon Musk.
Este es un vistazo a la tecnología del cohete Ariane 6 en cifras:
4
Por primera vez, el cohete está equipado con cuatro propulsores que rodean su etapa central, lo que le da el nombre de Ariane 64.
Su función es proporcionar un impulso adicional, lo que le permite transportar unas 21,6 toneladas a la órbita terrestre baja, más del doble de lo que puede elevar con solo dos propulsores.
Los propulsores consumen 142.000 kilogramos (313.056 libras) de propelente sólido en poco más de dos minutos antes de agotarse.
5
El Ariane 6 ha completado cinco vuelos —todos exitosos— con dos propulsores, incluido su lanzamiento inaugural en julio de 2024. El lanzamiento del jueves será el sexto, y el primero con un cliente comercial.
El año pasado, el cohete europeo se centró en misiones institucionales, al colocar en órbita un satélite francés de reconocimiento militar, un satélite meteorológico francés y satélites de radar de observación de la Tierra y de navegación patrocinados por la Unión Europea.
13
El programa Ariane 6 cuenta con el respaldo de 13 naciones, todas las cuales son miembros de la Agencia Espacial Europea.
Construir el cohete requiere la pericia y la coordinación de unos 600 subcontratistas encabezados por el ArianeGroup. La etapa central se ensambla en Les Mureaux, al oeste de París, mientras que la superior se construye en una fábrica de Bremen, Alemania. Un solo cohete se compone de aproximadamente 300.000 piezas.
La etapa central, la etapa superior y los propulsores cruzan el Atlántico hacia la Guayana Francesa en un buque de carga equipado con velas para reducir emisiones y ahorrar combustible.
El Ariane 64 mide 62 metros (203 pies) de altura, con una etapa central de 5,4 metros (17,7 pies) de ancho.
32
La misión del jueves tiene previsto colocar en órbita 32 satélites Leo de Amazon.
Amazon lanzó sus primeros satélites de internet en 2025, mientras la empresa busca convertirse en un actor clave en el mercado de las megaconstelaciones, actualmente dominado por los miles de satélites Starlink de SpaceX.
Fundada por Jeff Bezos, quien dirige Blue Origin, su propia empresa de cohetes, Amazon aspira a desplegar más de 3.200 satélites para ofrecer un servicio de banda ancha rápido y asequible en todo el mundo.
1 hora y 54 minutos
Se espera que la misión dure 1 hora y 54 minutos, desde el despegue hasta la separación de todos los satélites.
Además de sus propulsores, el Ariane 6 está impulsado por un motor principal en la base de su etapa central que utiliza hidrógeno y oxígeno superenfriados como combustible.
Un segundo motor se enciende una vez que la etapa superior escapa de la gravedad de la Tierra, colocando los satélites en sus órbitas precisas. Puede reencenderse hasta cuatro veces durante el vuelo.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Initial Jobless Claims Refuse To Signal Labor Market Stress
Initial Jobless Claims Refuse To Signal Labor Market Stress
Following the impressive payrolls data (revisions aside), the number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the first time fell to 227k last week (down from 232k – which was a notable jump)…
Pennsylvania and Missouri saw the biggest declines in initial claims while Texas and Virginia saw the largest rise…
Which is odd because the week before, Pennsylvania saw the largest increase in jobless claims…?
Continuing jobless claims ticked up from their lowest since May 2024…
Finally, WTF is going on in the labor market – Payrolls beat (but revisions were ugly), JOLTs are tumbling, Surveys suggest a tough labor market (jobs hard to get far worse than jobs plentiful), but… initial jobless claims remain flat near multi-decade lows?
Which is weird because before 2019, the two time series sync’d up very well – as one would expect…
Should we just be ignoring surveys completely now?
Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/12/2026 – 08:35
https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/initial-jobless-claims-refuse-signal-labor-market-stress
