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Juegos de guerra naval en el mar Báltico: Rusia muestra todo su poderío para proteger su “flota fantasma”

Moscú intenta proteger sus fuentes de ingresos, a riesgo de provocar incidentes militares con las fuerzas navales de varios países europeos. Rusia escapa a buena parte de las sanciones a su sector petrolero exportando hidrocarburos en buques que navegan de forma contraria a la normativa internacional: sin bandera, sin declarar carga, sin transponedor y sin comunicar puertos de origen y destino. Es lo que Europa llama “la flota fantasma” rusa.
Varios gobiernos europeos prometieron en los últimos meses impedir ese trasiego de barcos, que en algunas ocasiones entraban incluso en sus aguas territoriales y que en muchos casos son buques antiguos en malas condiciones y susceptibles de provocar accidentes con graves daños medioambientales. Pero Moscú no va a permitir esas incautaciones si puede impedirlo y empieza a mover al Báltico y al Mar del Norte algunos de sus buques militares más potentes.
El último en llegar a un punto en aguas internacionales, pero muy cerca de aguas territoriales alemanas, es el destructor Severomorsk, uno de los más temibles de la Armada rusa. Lleva días situado entre la isla alemana de Fehmarn y la bahía de Lübeck, en la costa norte germana, en un corredor marítimo esencial para el comercio y el suministro energético de varios países del norte de Europa.
En la misma zona lleva días fondeado el buque de desembarco Alexander Shabalin, visible incluso desde la costa alemana según varios reportes de la prensa local. ¿Qué hacen ahí? Para la diplomacia europea se trata de una forma de mostrar músculo, sobre todo frente a una Alemania que de ninguna manera pondría en peligro sus buques para capturar alguno de los petroleros o metaneros de esa “flota fantasma” rusa. Con Ucrania atacando sus barcos en el Mar Negro en cuanto se ponen a tiro (ha hundido varios buques militares en Sebastopol y Novorosisky), el Báltico es esencial para alcanzar el Atlántico y, dando la vuelta al continente, el Mediterráneo.
La OTAN respondió en días activando su Grupo Marítimo Permanente 1 (SNMG1, en sus siglas militares en inglés), que encabeza ahora mismo la fragata alemana alemana Sachsen, apoyada por la fragata francesa Auvergne y otros buques, de inteligencia pero también patrulleros de costa.
Moscú asegura desde hace días que su despliegue tiene por objetivo proteger la navegación comercial por la zona ante las amenazas europeas de incautar sus buques. Esos buques que están bajo regímenes de sanciones europeos y que en principio los gobiernos europeos tendrían obligación de detener. Esos buques rusos estarían ahí para disuadir a las armadas europeas de intentar detener petroleros y metaneros rusos, como ocurrió en varias ocasiones en los últimos meses con actuaciones de buques militares suecos.
Además, por el fondo marino de esa zona pasan gasoductos, cables eléctricos y de datos esenciales para Europa. Europa lleva prácticamente desde el inicio de la guerra en Ucrania denunciando que Rusia intenta atacar esos cables y comunicaciones energéticas. Para proteger esas infraestructuras los países de la región aprobaron, como misión de la OTAN, la operación Baltic Sentry, que vigila infraestructuras submarinas con buques, aviones, satélites y drones aéreos y marinos.
Lo que Rusia por ahora no parece capaz de evitar es que alguno acabe hundido. CNN contaba este martes que el carguero ruso hundido al sur de España, frente a la ciudad de Cartagena, el 23 de diciembre de 2024 cargaba dos reactores nucleares para submarinos con destino a Corea del Norte. El buque sufrió cuatro explosiones antes de hundirse. Todo apunta a un comando ucraniano que habría salido desde Gibraltar o desde algún punto en la costa sur de España y habría adosado una mina magnética al casco del buque ruso después de un ataque con un tipo especial de torpedo que rompió el sistema de dirección del buque.
Después de que acabara en el fondo del mar pasó por la zona un avión estadounidense especializado en rastreo de artefactos nucleares y poco después un buque espía ruso, siempre según la información de CNN.
El gobierno español apenas comentó el incidente. La Armada portuguesa habría seguido el buque días antes de su hundimiento, hasta que aparecieron dos barcos militares rusos y los portugueses abandonaron el seguimiento. Después de que el buque prácticamente se detuviera en alta mar, los servicios de rescate españoles se pusieron en contacto por radio y el capitán les dijo que todo iba bien, que no necesitaban ayuda. 24 horas después sufrió varias explosiones, que reventaron el motor y mataron a dos hombres.
Los 14 supervivientes fueron rescatados por un buque del servicio español de Salvamento Marítimo. Cuando un buque militar español intentó acercarse al buque ruso, todavía a flote, un buque militar ruso exigió que se retirara. Pero España envió un helicóptero. Los rescatadores no encontraron a nadie más. El barco no parecía en peligro de hundimiento, pero horas después varias explosiones lo hundieron después de que el buque militar ruso lanzara bengalas de humo rojo. Las explosiones fueron de tal calibre que las detectó el servicio sismológico español.
Una semana después, el ‘Yantar’, un buque de investigación ruso que la OTAN cree que, en realidad, es un buque espía, estuvo cinco días en la zona del hundimiento. Al dejar el lugar hubo otras cuatro explosiones en el fondo marino. Los servicios de rescate españoles ya no volvieron.
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Who is Andy Burnham? The Trump critic set to become the UK’s next prime minister

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Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor who has frequently criticized President Donald Trump, is poised to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister after emerging as the only candidate to replace outgoing Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Burnham, 56, received nominations from 322 of Labour’s 403 Members of Parliament on the first day of the leadership process, far surpassing the 81 required to enter the contest and leaving potential rivals with virtually no path to qualify.
He is expected to be formally confirmed as Labour leader Friday and appointed prime minister by King Charles III on Monday after Starmer’s resignation.
Britain’s parliamentary system allows the governing party to replace its leader — and therefore the prime minister — without holding a national election. The next nationwide election does not have to be held until 2029.
KEIR STARMER REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING STEPPING DOWN AS PM AND COULD ANNOUNCE TIMETABLE FOR DEPARTURE
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham of the Labour Party reacts after being declared the winner in the by-election at The Edge where votes were being counted on June 19, 2026, in Wigan, England. (Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images)
Burnham’s rapid path to Downing Street is drawing criticism from political opponents and foreign policy analysts who say he has not faced the scrutiny that would normally accompany either a competitive party leadership race or a general election campaign.
«Andy Burnham is the least scrutinized incoming U.K. Prime Minister of recent times,» Alan Mendoza, executive director of the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.
«He has faced neither a general election nor an internal party leadership debate in order to establish his positions for wider consumption,» Mendoza said. «He wasn’t even a candidate at the last general election.»
Burnham did, however, win 54.8% of the vote in June’s Makerfield parliamentary by-election, defeating Reform UK’s candidate and returning to the House of Commons after nearly a decade away. Before returning to Parliament, he had been directly elected mayor of Greater Manchester three times.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage argued in a previous interview with Fox News Digital that Burnham should seek a new national mandate.
«The public are tired of the game of musical chairs that’s been taking place in 10 Downing Street over the last decade,» Farage said.
NIGEL FARAGE RESIGNING FROM UK PARLIAMENT

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks during a news conference in Westminster, United Kingdom, June 10, 2025. (Thomas Krych/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«Mr. Burnham will come in, he will have no mandate,» he added. «I don’t even know what his policies are. Literally, I don’t. So, I think for all of those reasons, there ought to be a general election and a fresh mandate.»
Farage made the comments before resigning his parliamentary seat this month to trigger an Aug. 13 by-election in Clacton, where he plans to run again. Farage said he wanted voters to judge him amid parliamentary scrutiny over allegations involving gifts from wealthy supporters. He has denied wrongdoing. Police are separately investigating donations made to Reform UK, but no arrests have been announced.
Who is Andy Burnham?
Burnham grew up in north-west England between Liverpool and Manchester. The son of a British Telecom engineer and a receptionist, he joined the Labour Party as a teenager, studied at Cambridge University and was first elected to Parliament in 2001, according to The Associated Press.
He rose through Labour’s ranks during the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and served in several senior positions, including as culture secretary and health secretary.
Burnham ran unsuccessfully for the Labour leadership in 2010 and again in 2015. He left Parliament in 2017 after winning election as mayor of Greater Manchester, a regional position he used to build a national political profile.

A British Union flag flies from a souvenir stall near the Houses of Parliament in London, U.K., Oct. 27, 2025. (Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
As mayor, Burnham promoted greater regional control over transportation and public services. His administration brought Greater Manchester’s fragmented bus system under public control as part of the Bee Network, a regional transportation project that became one of his signature achievements.
He also became closely associated with the campaign for accountability over the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster, in which 97 Liverpool soccer fans were killed. Burnham supported victims’ families in their long-running effort to expose police failures and rebut false accusations originally directed at supporters.
MEET ‘COUNT BINFACE,’ THE TRASH CAN-CLAD COMEDIAN CHALLENGING NIGEL FARAGE

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces the timeline for his resignation after Andy Burnham’s decisive victory last week in the Makerfield by-election outside 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, June 22, 2026. (Reuters/Jack Taylor )
What has Andy Burnham said about President Trump?
Burnham has repeatedly criticized President Donald Trump, accusing him of contributing to global instability while warning that Britain risks importing the polarization of American politics. In a 2025 interview with The London Economic, Burnham compared Trump’s return to office to the turmoil caused in Britain by former Prime Minister Liz Truss.
«The instability that Liz Truss brought to Britain, I think Trump is bringing to the U.S. and the world,» Burnham said in the interview. He also described several of Trump’s decisions, including his approach to the Russia-Ukraine war, as «out of order.»

President Trump and King Charles shared a laugh outside the White House ahead of a state dinner. (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
Burnham’s criticism of Trump dates back to the president’s first election in 2016. After Trump’s victory, Burnham described some of his rhetoric as «deeply troubling» but argued that politicians on the left should examine why working-class voters had turned to him rather than simply blaming the electorate.
«We have to look closer to home,» Burnham said, according to The Guardian.
His language became sharper following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. As the attack unfolded, Burnham wrote on X that «any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now.»
More recently, during his Makerfield parliamentary campaign, Burnham warned that Britain was moving toward «the politics of the United States of America,» which he described as «a polarized, poisonous politics where people in communities don’t work together anymore.»
KING CHARLES FOLLOWS QUEEN ELIZABETH’S PLAYBOOK WITH A TWIST DURING TRUMP STATE VISIT: EXPERT
Despite those attacks, Burnham has stopped short of advocating a rupture with Washington. According to Time, he supported Starmer’s effort to maintain a working relationship with Trump, while arguing that Britain must be prepared to disagree with the United States.
«Obviously, the relationship is important to the U.K., but not to the point where we just go along with anything they say,» Burnham said.
Trump has already responded dismissively to the likely incoming British leader. Asked in June what he knew about Burnham, Trump said, «I don’t know, I think I see that he was, I guess, the mayor of a town.» Trump added that he had heard Burnham was «extremely liberal» and suggested that he would oppose expanded North Sea oil drilling, before declaring that «the U.K. is dying,» according ton Reuters.
What are Andy Burnham’s political views?
Burnham is generally regarded as being to the left of Starmer. He has said he wants to take what he calls «Manchesterism» nationwide, describing an approach that places «people and place before party» and transfers greater attention and authority from London to regions that have historically received less investment.
He has emphasized infrastructure, housing, transportation and regional economic development, while arguing against what he calls «trickle-down economics.» The Associated Press reported that his priorities have also included vocational education, youth employment, lower energy bills and cheaper rail travel.
Mendoza said that Burnham’s past positions and recent statements suggest he would move the British government further to the left.
«What we can be certain of is that he will be looking to impose a fairly radical left-wing agenda for the country based on his past beliefs and recent pronouncements,» Mendoza said.
«In no particular order, these include introduction of wealth taxes, changes to the electoral system, a vast expansion of social housing and attacks on hitherto allies of the U.K. like Israel.»
FROM LONDON SYNAGOGUES TO NEW YORK PRESCHOOLS — ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS ESCALATING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC

Pro-Palestinian protesters hold a banner and chant at at anti-Israel protest in London Dec. 9 2023., (Andy Soloman/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Burnham has sought to counter concerns about his limited recent national security experience.
He has pledged continuity in Britain’s commitments to NATO, its nuclear deterrent, the United States and Ukraine, according to The Associated Press.
He has also called for Britain to rebuild its military capabilities and domestic defense industry in response to what he described as an increasingly dangerous international environment.
On the war in Gaza, Burnham has criticized Labour’s earlier response and argued that the party was too slow to call for a ceasefire. The Associated Press reported that he has raised the possibility of additional sanctions and trade restrictions involving goods linked to Israeli settlements. Burnham has also condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack against Israel.
Burnham has not served in Britain’s national government since 2010 and spent almost a decade outside Parliament, meaning his record is far more developed on domestic and regional policy than on current foreign policy and national security questions.
When could Britain hold a general election?
Burnham would not be required to call an immediate general election. Labour won a large parliamentary majority under Starmer in July 2024, allowing the party to remain in power until 2029 unless Burnham decides to seek an earlier mandate.
Mendoza predicted that Burnham could attempt to capitalize on the momentum surrounding his arrival at Downing Street.
«As he is never likelier to be more popular than on day one of his premiership, we should also be on the watch for his calling of an early general election in order to capitalize on this unique moment,» Mendoza said.
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Britain’s Labour Party candidate Andy Burnham speaks to supporters after the Makerfield by-election in Ashton in Makerfield, England, June 19, 2026. (Jon Super/AP)
Burnham would inherit an economy facing weak growth, pressure on public finances, strained health and welfare services and continuing concern over the cost of living.
He would also become Britain’s seventh prime minister in just over a decade, reflecting the rapid political turnover at Downing Street since the country’s 2016 vote to leave the European Union.
andy burnham, united kingdom, europe, donald trump
INTERNACIONAL
Cae la verja que separaba España de la colonia británica de Gibraltar: festejos y emoción tras un acuerdo histórico

“Zona de prosperidad compartida”
Gibraltar en Schengen
El eterno reclamo español
Ya no habrá que esquivar las horas pico
Control aduanero
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Ex-Dem fundraiser torches Biden as book launch implodes: ‘No one wants to read’

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Lindy Li, a former top Democratic fundraiser, believes President Joe Biden is only doing himself a disservice by promising the public another explanation of why he decided to run for re-election in 2024 despite mounting concerns about his age and cognitive performance.
In her view, Biden’s upcoming memoir, «Promise Me, America,» will only serve to reopen painful wounds that Democrats have struggled to move past since the 2024 election loss. In a way, she believes the book is a bit of a microcosm of Biden’s presidency.
«They’re thinking, ‘Why can’t you just shut the f— up?’ Prior to me leaving the party, they wanted nothing to do with this guy. It was so bad that when, finally, Biden exited on July 21, there was no goodbye party other than a staffer one in the Rose Garden. There was nothing,» Li said.
«Jill has him writing books that no one wants to read instead of fully enjoying his retirement,» Li said, referring to Jill Biden, the former first lady.
EX-DEM INSIDER REVEALS SHE WILL EXPOSE DEMOCRATS WHO COVERED UP BIDEN’S COGNITIVE DECLINE IN NEW BOOK
Former President Biden was dogged throughout his term by rumors of his purported cognitive decline. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
«Just like she had him out running for president — a presidency that no one wanted, not even Democrats — instead of enjoying his retirement. He should have been in retirement 10, 20 years ago, but they need the money.»
Biden described his upcoming book in a post to X Wednesday morning.
«It’s about the challenges we face as a nation. About the decisions I made and why I made them,» Biden said, igniting mockery on social media. «It’s about why I chose to run for reelection and why I chose to step aside.»
«The first lie of Joe Biden’s book launch: ‘I’ve written a book,’» conservative communicator Steve Guest wrote.
«Joe Biden couldn’t sign his own pardons. Now he’s ‘written’ a book, which Democrats forced him to release after the midterms so he wouldn’t be in the news to remind people how bad he was,» wrote Outkick founder Clay Travis. «Who in the world is buying this book?»
«Who do we think wrote this book,» Daily Wire editor-in-chief Brent Scher wondered.
«Did the autopen write this too,» Missouri Republican Rep. Jason Smith questioned.
Li, who is publishing a new book of her own, «Unburdened,» later this year, was privy to many of the party’s internal discussions, research and panic behind the scenes, which indicated Biden enjoyed only shaky support even among his own camp long before he ultimately dropped out of the 2024 election.
BIDEN BOOK LAUNCH BACKFIRES AS CRITICS MOCK ‘AUTOPEN’ PRESIDENT INTO OBLIVION

Lindy Li, a former Democratic fundraiser, poses for a picture with former President Joe Biden at a 2023 campaign event. (Lindy Li)
In light of what she knows, Li doubts there is a way for Biden to spin his exit that won’t do further harm to his own image, an image his campaign went to great lengths to protect.
Li recalled how the Biden campaign confiscated her phone at a 2023 event.
«The [Democratic National Committee] was routinely confiscating the phones of top donors with social media followings,» Li said, referring to a party fundraising and campaign group.
«They took away my phone because they knew I was a prolific tweeter. And I posted something on Instagram that night, and a finance director from the DNC called me at around 10 or 11 that same night to instruct me to delete everything from Instagram about Biden that I posted that day.
«The reason is because [Biden] seemed infirm. He seemed weak.»
DEMOCRATS’ MIDTERM PUSH CLOUDED BY INFIGHTING OVER PARTY KEEPING 2024 AUTOPSY UNDER WRAPS

Lindy Li, a former Democratic fundraiser, and former President Joe Biden (Lindy Li; Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
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Now on this side of his presidency, Li believes he will further aggravate Democrats who have wanted to move past the 2024 election and reignite questions of why Biden wasn’t asked to step aside sooner.
«It’s very clear they were trying to hide the fact that instead of having a candidate they could be proud of, they were busy hiding a candidate that they were deeply ashamed of,» she added.
Fox News’ Ashley DiMella contributed to this report
politics, biden pushed out, joe biden
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