Poland Economic Juggernaut Gets a Reality Check
Hi, this is Piotr Skolimowski in Warsaw. Welcome to our weekly newsletter on what's shaping economics and investments from the Baltic Sea to the Balkans. You can subscribe here.
Poland's unexpected election nail-biter looks at odds with the rude health of its economy. Billions of euros in European Union aid have helped transform the way Poles live. The IMF predicts Poland's per-capita GDP adjusted for purchasing power will overtake Japan's this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
We got an inside look at how frontline NATO allies would fight Russia
BI observed Finnish and Polish forces in an exercise simulating a tactical air landing operation. One team seized a strategically located airfield while another had to counterattack and retake it. These kinds of operations are a top Russian military tactic and could prove decisive in a conflict. PYHTÄÄ, Finland — The young soldiers wear dark camouflage and green and black face paint to blend in with the dense forest common on NATO's eastern flank. These conscripts, members of the 3rd Jaeger Company, a unit within the Finnish Army's Pori Brigade, carry anti-tank missile launchers, large mines, and assault rifles. One soldier looks at a paper map, and another calls in instructions on the radio as they scout out recently seized enemy positions. From the nearby road, they cannot be seen. The Finnish soldiers are conducting surveillance operations, but the enemy is not real. It's part of an exercise simulating their reaction to the capture of a strategic airfield, a critical operation that's an expected element of a Russian invasion. Lively Sabre 25, which took place in southern Finland over the past few days, is an element of NATO's larger Swift Response 25 exercise. This event is a series of joint military drills across the Baltic and Nordic regions designed to facilitate cooperation among allies and deter what they see as a serious Russian threat to the east. During Lively Sabre, a "red team," consisting of Polish airborne forces and Finnish troops, executed a tactical air landing operation at an airstrip in the forest. Paratroopers rapidly seized a strategically located airfield, aiming to hold it and bring in the infantry and heavy weapons to launch a lightning assault from it; Russia used similar tactics in a close battle outside Kyiv in 2022. The 3rd Jaeger Company was part of a "blue team" made up entirely of Finnish troops whose mission was to contain the so-called airhead and then mass strength to retake the site — an operation where time is of the essence. Finland doesn't have an airbone brigade in its military structure, so the exercise is a good opportunity to train on battling paratroopers and learn from skilled professionals — in this case, the Polish forces — how to prepare for a tactical air landing, set up a perimeter around the airfield, and defend the site. Establishing an airhead is not an easy operation, especially in an era of widespread sensors and sophisticated air defenses that can detect and destroy an assault force before it lands. "It's extremely difficult," Col. Matti Honko, the commanding officer of Finland's Guard Jaeger Regiment and the director of Lively Sabre, told Business Insider on the sidelines of the exercise. "There needs to be suppression of the air defense, and there has to be air superiority. You have to be able to actually do lots of things before you can do that." Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, which led the tactical air landing, said these operations have become even more difficult now than they were in past years. But having the airborne capabilities is still crucial, especially in the early phases of a conflict, when enemy air defenses aren't necessarily ready. The rapid deployment of troops could make all the difference. "Having that kind of capability is essential," Strzelecki told BI at the Pyhtää airfield. The ability to seize an airstrip and hold the position is important, as is the ability to dislodge it from under enemy control. NATO knows this because Ukraine demonstrated it three years ago, early on in its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion. Russian forces tried to capture the Hostomel airport on the outskirts of Kyiv amid their initial push to capture the Ukrainian capital city. This would have given Moscow a decisive advantage, as the Kremlin could have then airlifted more troops, artillery, and fighting vehicles to strike Kyiv from a minimal distance. Russian helicopters carrying assault troops made an initial assault, but they were met with fierce resistance from Ukraine's military. After hours of heavy fighting and counterattacks, Kyiv eventually controlled the airfield. Swift Response 25, which falls under NATO's larger series of exercises this summer, called Defender, comes as the military alliance grows increasingly concerned with Russia and its behavior across Europe, which Western officials have described as malign and aggressive. Allies, especially those along the northern and eastern flanks, like the Baltic states, are watching the Ukraine war closely. They are investing a lot in their defense capabilities by increasing their military spending, buying up weapons, and reinforcing their borders. European nations are also anxious about US reliability. Finland joined NATO just over two years ago, while Poland has been a member for more than two decades. Both share borders with Russia, so they bring an important perspective to the alliance as countries on its front lines. They are well aware of the Russian threat. Strzelecki said the Lively Sabre exercise helps Poland better integrate its forces with Finland. "Finland is a new member of the alliance, so we want to interact with them, we want to train with them, we want to share our experience and also learn from the Finnish Army," he said. "Finland has a long tradition of defending against possible aggression from their neighbor." Indeed, Russia has recently increased its military presence along its shared 830-mile-long border with Finland. Should a clash occur between NATO and Moscow, the region could become a major hot spot. Honko said Finland's accession to NATO in 2023 has already lifted the threshold of threats, and exercises like Lively Sabre are a key element of deterrence that's needed to avoid a real shooting war. "We are in the first line, but then, I think we have a very long tradition of defending our own area by ourselves, and that hasn't changed. In a way, we are a security provider, and not a security consumer," Honko said. Still, he added, "We need the alliance if the day comes, and we can deal with the problem together." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Afine Investments Full Year 2025 Earnings: EPS: R0.96 (vs R0.95 in FY 2024)
Net income: R69.8m (up 1.6% from FY 2024). EPS: R0.96 (up from R0.95 in FY 2024). AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early. All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Afine Investments' share price is broadly unchanged from a week ago. You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 5 warning signs for Afine Investments you should be aware of, and 1 of them can't be ignored. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ray-Ban Maker EssilorLuxottica to Buy Optegra in Medical AI Push
Ray-Ban maker EssilorLuxottica said it would buy AI-focused ophthalmology platform Optegra from MidEuropa, as part of the group's medical technology strategy. The Franco-Italian eyewear group said Friday that the deal builds on the company's offering, which spans beyond frames and lenses to include AI-powered technologies, wearables, medical instruments and science-backed eyecare solutions. It's Waymo's World. We're All Just Riding in It. Trump Says Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Will Double to 50% JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon Predicts 'Crack in the Bond Market,' Citing U.S. Fiscal Mess Taylor Swift Buys Her Early Master Recordings, Gaining Control of First Six Albums Why This Stock Market Makes So Many of Us Want to Scream Last year, EssilorLuxottica extended a partnership with Facebook parent Meta to develop smart Ray-Ban glasses, as part of its push into artificial intelligence. Optegra operates a network of over 70 eye hospitals and diagnostic facilities across the U.K., Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and the Netherlands. Its offering comprises ophthalmic treatments and elective vision correction procedures supported by artificial intelligence in the pre- and postoperative phases. The transaction, the financial details of which weren't disclosed, is expected to close later this year, subject to approval. Write to Andrea Figueras at The U.S. Plan to Hobble China Tech Isn't Working Judge Examines Steps to Limit Google's Reach in AI Arms Race She Always Felt Like an Outsider. Now It's This CEO's Superpower. Stocks Shrug Off Trade War to Post Best Month Since 2023 HSBC Retreats From Banking Smaller U.S. Businesses Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
