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Earth Intelligence

28 Jul 2025 — 6 min read

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Yesterday, July 27, 2025, a regional passenger train operated by Deutsche Bahn derailed in the Biberach district of Baden-Württemberg state, southwestern Germany, between the towns of Riedlingen and Munderkingen. The train, designated RE55 and traveling a roughly 90 km route from Sigmaringen to Ulm with about 100 passengers on board, had at least two carriages leave the tracks in a forested area. Images from the scene showed the carriages overturned on their sides amid mud and debris, remaining largely intact but entangled. Emergency responders, including fire services, police, and medical teams, declared a mass casualty incident and used helicopters to evacuate the injured to nearby hospitals, which had increased capacity in preparation.

Reports on casualties include three confirmed deaths according to most sources, with some indicating up to four fatalities, and between 30 to 50 injuries, several of which were serious or critical. Preliminary investigations suggest a landslide, potentially triggered by heavy rain and storms in the region, deposited debris on the tracks, contributing to the derailment, though a final determination is pending from federal and local police working with Deutsche Bahn. The rail operator suspended services on the affected line, issued condolences to the victims' families, and committed to cooperating fully with the inquiry.

Economics & Markets:

Yesterday’s commodity market:

Yesterday’s crypto market:

Environment & Weather:

Yesterday, July 27, 2025, severe storms struck Broșteni and nearby areas in Suceava County, Romania, this evening, causing torrential rains, flash floods, strong winds, and hail. These conditions led to widespread disruptions, including flooded roads, homes, and infrastructure in locations such as Broșteni, Holdița, Găinești, and Doroteia. Highways like DN 17B were blocked, power outages occurred, and fallen trees damaged vehicles and properties. Local emergency services received over 200 calls, with firefighters working to pump water from affected buildings and conduct rescues for people trapped by rising waters in Broșteni and Darmoxa. Weather warnings had been issued earlier, forecasting heavy rainfall exceeding 50-60 liters per square meter, hail up to 4-5 cm in diameter, and winds of 70-90 km/h.

The storms added to a pattern of recent extreme weather events in Romania, with this incident resulting in one fatality: a 50-year-old man from Bucharest participating in the Bucovina Ultra Rocks mountain race in the Rarău-Giumalău area, who was struck by a falling tree. Dozens of other runners were rescued during the event. Emergency response teams, including the Suceava County Emergency Situations Inspectorate, focused on evacuations and damage control, though the complete scope of property and infrastructure impacts is still being evaluated. Similar weather disruptions have affected multiple counties in Romania earlier this month.

Space:

On July 26, 2025, at 09:01 UTC, SpaceX successfully launched the Starlink Group 10-26 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The payload consisted of 28 Starlink satellites, which are small spacecraft placed in low-Earth orbit to form a large constellation providing broadband internet service worldwide, especially in remote or underserved areas. After the rocket's liftoff, the first stage separated from the second stage and landed safely on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

On July 27, 2025, at 04:31 UTC (9:31 PM PDT on July 26), SpaceX carried out the Starlink Group 17-2 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Like the previous one, it employed a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket to deploy 24 Starlink version 2 satellites into a polar orbit, which helps improve internet coverage in higher latitude and polar regions by allowing the satellites to pass over those areas more frequently. These version 2 satellites offer enhancements such as greater data capacity and reduced signal delay compared to earlier models.

On July 27, 2025, at 10:03 UTC, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) conducted the SatNet LEO Group 05 mission using a Long March 6A rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province. This launch deployed five low-Earth orbit communication satellites as part of the state-owned SatNet constellation, also referred to as Guowang, which is managed by the China Satellite Network Group. The satellites are intended to support broadband internet services by enabling high-speed data transmission and low-latency connectivity in a network that orbits relatively close to Earth. Reports indicate the mission proceeded as planned, with the satellites reaching their designated orbits without any noted anomalies.

Statistic:

Largest assets on Earth by market capitalization:

Gold: $22.408T
🇺🇸 NVIDIA: $4.231T
🇺🇸 Microsoft: $3.818T
🇺🇸 Apple: $3.194T
🇺🇸 Amazon: $2.457T
Bitcoin: $2.372T
🇺🇸 Alphabet (Google): $2.341T
Silver: $2.165T
🇺🇸 Meta Platforms: $1.791T
🇸🇦 Saudi Aramco: $1.616T
🇺🇸 Broadcom: $1.364T
🇹🇼 TSMC: $1.273T
🇺🇸 Berkshire Hathaway: $1.044T
🇺🇸 Tesla: $1.019T
🇺🇸 JPMorgan Chase: $821.10B
🇺🇸 Walmart: $777.85B
🇺🇸 Eli Lilly: $729.58B
🇺🇸 Visa: $697.47B
🇺🇸 Oracle: $688.50B
🇨🇳 Tencent: $641.90B
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust: $584.71B
🇺🇸 Mastercard: $515.99B
🇺🇸 Netflix: $501.62B
🇺🇸 Exxon Mobil: $475.78B
Ethereum: $465.42B

History:

Microsoft began in 1975 when childhood friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen partnered to create software for the Altair 8800, one of the earliest personal microcomputers. This venture led to the development of a version of the BASIC programming language tailored for the Altair, which marked the beginning of Microsoft as a software company. Their real breakthrough came in 1980 when they licensed an operating system—86-DOS, later renamed MS-DOS—to IBM for its first personal computer. MS-DOS became the standard for PC operating systems and allowed Microsoft to gain massive influence over the rapidly growing personal computing market. In 1985, Microsoft released Windows, a graphical extension to MS-DOS, which offered users a more intuitive, visual interface. As Windows evolved—especially with landmark releases like Windows 3.0 in 1990 and Windows 95 in 1995—it became the dominant operating system globally. Microsoft also bundled its Microsoft Office suite, which included Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, establishing itself as essential productivity software for businesses and individuals. During this time, Microsoft expanded aggressively and became a near-monopoly in desktop software, leading to legal challenges, including a high-profile antitrust case in the United States in the late 1990s.
Despite its dominance in the PC era, Microsoft faced a shifting landscape in the 2000s. The rise of web-based services, mobile computing, and competitors like Google and Apple exposed weaknesses in Microsoft’s strategy, especially after its failure to establish a strong presence in mobile. The launch of Windows Vista in 2007 was met with criticism, but the company regained momentum with Windows 7. A major turning point came in 2014 when Satya Nadella became CEO. Nadella reoriented Microsoft’s focus toward cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and platform-agnostic software. Azure, Microsoft’s cloud platform, rapidly grew to become a core part of its business and now competes directly with Amazon Web Services. Office transformed from a one-time purchase product into a recurring subscription model through Office 365, integrating cloud features and collaboration tools. Microsoft acquired key companies such as LinkedIn in 2016 and GitHub in 2018, and deepened its investments in AI, including a multibillion-dollar partnership with OpenAI. These moves revitalized Microsoft’s image and business model, making it a leader not only in traditional software, but also in cloud services, developer tools, enterprise solutions, and AI research. Today, Microsoft stands as one of the most influential and valuable technology companies in the world, with a diversified portfolio that extends far beyond its original roots in personal computer software.

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