The production limitations of the aircraft have been revealed not by the new European defense initiatives but by the international success of the Rafale in sales. With numerous countries interested in purchasing it, the French manufacturer Dassault has realized the need to increase production to meet the demands of the French Air Force and Navy. However, expanding production is extremely challenging due to a lack of qualified personnel and constraints from suppliers. With luck, in a few years, Dassault may be able to produce... four Rafale jets per month.
China, where you can buy apartments with garlic as collateral
In 2022, the real estate agency Central China Group "harvested" 430 tons of garlic. This was a result of the real estate market crash, forcing them to accept agricultural products as collateral for housing.
The 430 tons came from the sale of 30 apartments, averaging 14,333 kilograms of garlic per unit. This anecdote, reported by The Economist citing local press, highlights the decline in the Chinese real estate market, potentially not adequately reflected in official statistics.
Real estate accounts for 25% to 30% of China's GDP, and its collapse continues to this day. Sometimes, the consequences are dramatic: fifteen women who worked as real estate agents have been imprisoned for seducing men and convincing them to buy an apartment, promising marriage, only to leave them heartbroken with a hefty mortgage.
Could Wall Street be incentivizing the abandonment of diversity in European companies?
European companies may end up voluntarily compromising some of their diversity goals. This shift is not only due to U.S. demands - which the Trump administration downplayed this week - but also influenced by Wall Street. Some pension funds are prohibited by their states from investing in companies that uphold certain principles criticized in recent letters. With the stock market downturn and fears of a recession, Wall Street is seeking investment opportunities outside the U.S., potentially leading European companies to relax diversity objectives in exchange for capital. This is a complex debate, as many shareholders - and governments - in Europe consider diversity non-negotiable. As an indication of the current climate, the Norwegian opposition has demanded that the country's sovereign fund, managing 1.6 trillion euros, be authorized to invest in defense and nuclear technology companies.
Europe realizes it lacks data sovereignty
If asked where the main European intelligence services store their data, the answer would be both predictable and concerning: in the cloud of American companies. This situation arises from Europe's focus on regulating U.S. internet giants rather than fostering domestic competition. At a time when parts of the U.S. government view Europe as an adversary, this reliance on American cloud services poses a security risk for Europe. Developing a European cloud infrastructure will take years and require massive investment.
Adults, not children, drive toy sales worldwide
"What toy does the child want for Christmas? And what about the parent?" Although Christmas is far off, it's becoming common to view things this way. According to market analysis company Circana, 28% of toys worldwide are purchased for adult use. This trend is growing, to the delight of manufacturers who observe that despite having fewer children, adults continue to buy toys. For instance, 13% of the 563 new sets released by the Danish company Lego in 2024 were targeted at adults over 19 years old, while the American company Hasbro, in its March 13 earnings report, stated that its strategy will focus more on "our adult fans." Self-help manuals talk about embracing one's inner child, but they never mentioned handing over the credit card.
Email and messages have killed letters in Denmark
When was the last time you wrote a letter, sealed it in an envelope, affixed a stamp, and dropped it in the mail? You probably can't recall. It's a shame because you may not have the opportunity to do so in the future. In Denmark, the postal service will cease sending letters on December 31st. From then on, only packages and official documents will be accepted. Those wishing to send a traditional letter will have to use a private service. This decision will lead to the removal of 1,500 mailboxes and significantly impact rural areas. The 90% decline in correspondence over the last 25 years, attributed to the rise of email and text services, prompted this change. Interestingly, in Greenland - the island the U.S. aims to annex - this measure does not apply to its 56,000 inhabitants spread across a territory as vast as four Spains.