Month: October 2025

why that bright red is pure marketing

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You are in front of the counter. On the left, a bright red, almost advertisement-like steak that screams “eat me, I’m fresh!” On the right, a piece of a duller tone, perhaps a little darker, but streaked with fine white lines. Which one do you choose? Most we launch ourselves into the vibrant red. It’s a reflex action. Although he is not always the smartest. It is something recognized by those who are in contact with this product all day, such as butchers. One of the examples is Mariano Sánchez who told La Vanguardia recognized that customers can pay a lot of attention to the color of the product, but he points out that the real key is in the fat of the fillet. This makes us have an almost obligatory question: is this a simple shopkeeper’s trick or does it have a real scientific basis? The short answer: you are absolutely right. They have been deceiving you, and a protein and a little oxygen are to blame. The myth of bright red. What we associate with “fresh meat” is nothing more than a superficial chemical reaction. The color of meat is determined by a protein called myoglobin.which stores oxygen in the muscle. In this way, when the meat is freshly cut or vacuum packed, the myoglobin is in its natural state (deoxymoglobin) and has a fairly dark purple-red color. And this is not something bad or something that should be despised. But when meat reacts with oxygen in the airthe myoglobin reacts and becomes oxymyoglobin. This compound has the bright cherry red color that attracts us so much. It is literally the ‘blooming’ that occurs on the surface. In short: the color bright red it only indicates that the meat has been in contact with airnot that it is of better quality, more tender or tastier. In fact, a vacuum-packed meat (purple in color) can be much fresher and less oxidized than the one glistening on the tray. The key is fat. This is where the butcher was completely right. What really defines the sensory experience of a good steak is not the color, but intramuscular fatpopularly known as “marbling” or “veining”. We talk about those fine streaks of white fat that infiltrate into the musclenot from the large layer of fat that surrounds it (which is also important to protect the piece, but that’s another story). And fat is responsible for the three most important virtues that we look for in a meat product. The first of them is the flavorsince fat is the vehicle for aromatic compounds, and during cooking this fat melts and releases these molecules, flooding the meat with flavor. A lean meat (without fat) It is, by definition, a meat with less flavor. Juiciness is the most obvious factor related to fat. As it melts, the intramuscular fat “waters” the steak from within, lubricating the muscle fibers and helping to retain water. It’s what makes the difference between a tender bite and a dry piece of cork. Studies on the sensory acceptability of beef show a direct and positive correlation: the more marbling, the higher consumer scores for flavor, juiciness and general acceptance. How to buy meat. So, the next time you go to a butcher shop, you don’t have to look at different points to have the best possible culinary and gustatory result. As summary points we can have the following checklist: Look for marbling: it is the number one quality indicator of a piece of meat. You should always look for pieces with a fine, well-distributed network of white fat veins. Color of fat: Intramuscular fat should be pearly white or, at most, slightly yellowish (something that indicates a step-based diet). What you have to avoid is pink, gray or reddish fats. The texture: a meat should have a firm, dense appearance and a dry surface (or slightly moist, but never sticky). If the mark disappears quickly when you press it with your finger, it is a good sign of freshness. If it is slimy or soft, that is a bad sign. Don’t focus on the color. When you see a piece with a dark, almost maroon color, you should not discard it immediately. This often indicates that it is an older animal or that it has gone through a dry-aging process. In these processes, the meat loses moisture and its own enzymes break down the fibers and increase the tenderness. In short, the color in the end, although it is the letter of presentation of a piece of meat, the reality is that it is not the only factor that directly influences the quality of the product that we are going to put in our mouths. Images | Sergey Kotenev In Xataka | Chicken meat printed in 3D and cooked with lasers: this is how these researchers see the future of meat

The countries with the most kilometers of high-speed train, displayed in a graph with a brutal dominator: China

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The train is the backbone of many countries. For centuries it has been key to mobility in Europe, in Japan it is essential, China has experienced a railway revolution and even the United States or Latin America begin to bet on passenger mobility by train. However, it is one thing to have a railway and quite another to have a rich high-speed network. And this graph shows the countries with the most kilometers of high-speed trains and their plans for the future. China, undisputed queen. The Olympics They are an event in which countries “sell” themselves to the worldbut in the case of China, it involved a profound renovation of its infrastructure. It was in 2008 when China launched its high-speed railway line: barely 120 kilometers between Beijing and Taijin, and 17 years later, it is the country with the most kilometers of high-speed lines in operation. According to the data of World Population Review and as we can see in the graph prepared by Visual CapitalistChina has more than 40,000 kilometers of tracks on which its trains go at 250 km/h or more. They have another 12,800 kilometers under construction and more than 11,000 planned. In total, some 64,000 kilometers of high-speed rail. In addition, they are moving forward to make their network the highest speed thanks to the maglev advancesmagnetic trains, with tracks that already link cities like Beijing and Shanghai to speeds of more than 430 kilometers per hour. And it is this network that is putting the airlines in check. Spain and Japan. The train is vital in a country as huge as China and the numbers speak for themselves, but there are two other countries that, without being the ones with the most kilometers in total (operational, under construction and planned), complete the podium of those with the most high-speed kilometers currently operating. There are no surprises here. Spain has a total of 5,632 kilometers of high speed, of which more than 3,700 are already operational, followed by China the country with the most kilometers of high speed currently holds. There are another 1,040 kilometers under construction and another 862 kilometers planned. For its part, Japan, another example when we talk about fast trainshas a total of 3,700 kilometers divided into 3,050 operational kilometers, 402 under construction and 193 planned. Promises, promises. At a time when the train is emerging as the alternative to international flights, especially to low cost and among short-distance points, it is striking that, in reality, there are no more countries with high-speed lines. In Europe, apart from Spain, France, Germany, Sweden, Finland or Italy, they have hundreds of operational kilometers, but outside of the ‘Old Continent’ and cases like South Korea, things are very different. For example, India. It is the second country in the graph, but of the 8,000 total kilometers, only 508 eare under construction and the remaining 7,400 are planned. They do not have high speed, and the same thing happens in Egypt (with 3,400 kilometers planned), Australia (1,700 planned) and European countries such as Latvia, Estonia, Norway or the Czech Republic: all with plans to create high-speed lines, but not one operational kilometer. America. And if in China the train is essential due to its dimensionson the American continent we should think that things are the same. And no, not at all. The United States, a gigantic country, has only 735 kilometers of high speed, 273 under construction and almost 5,000 planned, but nothing more. Spain tried to bring the AVE to the North American country and there are demands for high-speed trains to expand, but their internal mobility continues to have the plane as the protagonist. Canada has 1,500 kilometers planned and not one kilometer built, Mexico is in the same situation with 210 kilometers on the table, Brazil the same with 510 kilometers planned and Argentina does not even appear on the graph. But, although high speed is complicated on the continent, the truth is that there are many plans to expand the railway network, even creating international trains that go from one ocean to another, like the one planned between Brazil and Peru. And who is behind many of these projects? Well, who has gained experience at a forced pace in recent years ‘pulling’ thousands of kilometers of tracks: China. In Xataka | China wanted to be the queen of high-speed trains. So he built all the longest bridges in the world

more than 1,200 exotic species are here to stay

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The Iberian Peninsula is being invaded and not by a war between humans, but for 1,200 non-native species that have settled on our land. A phenomenon that represents a great threat to native fauna and flora and that now requires international cooperation to protect ecosystems and especially the animals and plants that are native to our peninsula. The study. According to a study published in Diversity and Distributions, the number of exotic species established on the peninsula now exceeds 1,200, including plants, insects, mollusks, crustaceans and vertebrates introduced intentionally or by accident. The protagonists in this case are Spain, Portugal and Andorra, which are the first affected by this silent invasion. The team, led by Ismael Soto and with participation, has documented 1,273 species that currently maintain themselves independently by feeding and reproducing. The data. In the results of the research it has been seen that at first it has been seen that the species that are invading us come mainly from the Palearctic region (Europe, temperate Asia and northern Africa) followed by the American species. But not everything is animals, as you might think, but 75% of the invaders correspond to vascular plants and insects. Although the big question here is: how did they get in here? The answer lies in the gardens and nurseries that, together with mechanisms linked to international transportation, participate with ornamental plant trade that are not original to the peninsula. Where. This is not something that is similar throughout the geography of the peninsula. Mainly, exotic species are concentrated in coastal areas and large cities, and that is why we see a large number of these in Andalusia, Catalonia or the Valencian Community. Something that is also related to the number of ports that exist as they are a great gateway for international trade in these invasive species. What damage do they cause? When the species arrive on the peninsula, they have a detrimental effect on our ecosystem, and that is why they generate so much alarm around them. Among the effects we find are: Ecosystem modification which can cause the local extermination of native species. Transmission of diseases to natural habitats that change their structure. Alteration of food webs and displacement of native species due to direct competition. For example, we can find a predatory species that ends up with a native species as its ideal prey. Examples. There are some species that are undoubtedly perfect examples of this. One of them is the american red crab (Procambarus clarkii) that was introduced into our habitat in 1973 and that today is responsible for great ecological damage, since it has caused the disappearance of native aquatic species, which also triggers socioeconomic problems. Another case is the bullhead (Silurus glanis), whose voracity and expansion as a fishing trophy have made it the dominant predator in several rivers and reservoirs, threatening the survival of other aquatic species.​ The ants. Although they seem to be going their own way, the reality is that exotic ants like Argentina (Linepithema humile) It has expanded through cities and coasts, causing large effects on ecosystems and generating high control costs. Floors. Most of the invasive species we have in this case are not animals, but plants. One of the classic examples is the fern Azolla filiculoides what is capable of consuming all the oxygen in the water and suffocate the native aquatic species that will use this oxygen. Another example is the water hyacinth which It is among the 100 most invasive species in the world for its impact on lagoons and aquatic ecosystems. What can be done? The prevention and control of exotic species requires continuous monitoring, restoration of degraded habitats and effective policies based on science and citizen participation. Sectors such as aquaculture, recreational fishing, the pet trade and horticulture are critical points where preventive measures can make a difference. The authors insist on the urgency of strengthening international collaboration and applying shared strategies between the scientific community, environmental managers and civil society. Only in this way will it be possible to face one of the greatest threats to Iberian biodiversity, protect endemic species and maintain ecological balance in this hot spot of European biodiversity. Images | Joshua Ralph Ivan Bandura In Xataka | England is experiencing an unprecedented invasion. The problem is that they are octopuses, and they are devouring everything they can find.​

which cars can circulate and which rest on October 25

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Saturday, October 25, is presented as a day that, in theory, invites relaxation and free time. However, for those who have vehicles subject to the Hoy No Circula Sabatino program, the reality will be different. As you already know, some cars must remain parked at their homes throughout the day. This measure, promoted by the CDMX Environment Secretariat (SEDEMA), its primary objective is to reduce air pollution so that we breathe better quality air. Its logic is direct: the circulation of certain vehicles is prevented, mainly those with higher levels of polluting emissions. However, the restriction does not always affect the same cars each weekend. In the areas where this program operates, some of these vehicles alternate their rest between different Saturdays. In which territories does this regulation apply? Specifically in the 16 municipalities of the Mexican capital and in these municipalities of the metropolitan area of ​​the State of Mexico: • Atizapan of Zaragoza • Coacalco de Berriozábal • Cuautitlan • Cuautitlán Izcalli • Chalco • Chicoloapan • Chimalhuacan • Ecatepec de Morelos • Huixquilucan • Ixtapaluca • Peace • Naucalpan de Juárez • Nezahualcoyotl • Nicolas Romero • Tecámac • Tlalnepantla de Baz • Tultitlan • Chalco Valley What cars and license plates does Hoy No Circula Saturday affect? What vehicles should stay home? The daily mechanics of this program are quite clear to understand, as you can see in the infographic above. However, on Saturdays the dynamics change and not all cars face identical restrictions each weekend. Some vehicles can move freely on certain Saturdays, while on others they are restricted. The classifications for this day are grouped into: • Vehicles with circulation permit every Saturday • Vehicles with permanent restriction every Saturday • Vehicles with alternating restriction every other Saturday These restrictions operate only in the time range from 05:00 to 22:00. During the night the prohibition ceases, allowing circulation without risk of fines. In addition to understanding the basic concepts, it is worth noting that the application of the program varies depending on the type of car. For this reason, it is essential to verify three aspects before starting the engine: the monthly calendar, the type of hologram that the car has and the last number of its license plate. As an example, vehicles with hologram 2 cannot circulate on any Saturday, while those with holograms 0 and 00 circulate freely every week. Those with hologram 1 They face restrictions that rotate week by week. On Saturday, October 25, 2025, which corresponds to the first Saturday of the (odd) month, vehicles whose license plates end in an odd digit must remain parked. Next Saturday, the second of September (even), the restriction will apply to vehicles with license plates that end in an even digit. However, there are certain exceptions that are worth taking into account because these vehicles will be able to circulate without restrictions: • Electric, natural gas or hybrid technology vehicles • Vehicles that have a disability plate • Units intended for urban public transport (including funeral services) • School transport or passenger vehicles • Public security and civil protection units Failure to comply with these regulations entails fines equivalent to 20 or 30 times the Measurement and Update Unit (UMA), which means an economic penalty of between 1,924.40 and 2,886.60 pesos. Photo | Josh Sorenson In Xataka | Pollution is not only making you live less and worse. It’s also making you dumber

In China they have created a material for their fighters that opens a new technological direction: it aims directly at radars

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From the early days of World War II to the stealth fighters of the 21st century, the goal of remaining unnoticed by the enemy has been a constant obsession in military aviation. Aerial “invisibility”, more than a myth, It is a technological challenge that has marked decades of innovation in materials and design. A team from Chinese universities describes a flexible and ultra-thin coating capable of absorbing radar waves without losing thermal resistance, collects SCMP. If its effectiveness is confirmed in flight, it could change the conversation about modern aerial stealth. The development was detailed on October 14 in Advanced Materials. The study, signed by Cui Guang, Liu ZhongfanHuihui Wang and Maoyuan Li, among others, presents a graphene-on-silica-fabric (G@SF) metasurface that combines flexibility, low weight and thermal resistance of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. According to its authors, the direct integration of the material into the insulating layer of an aircraft would allow the reflected radar signal to be reduced to −42 dB, without compromising the structure or weight of the aircraft. A surface that wants to defy the radar The material is based on a silica textile base on which the researchers deposited graphene using a chemical vapor deposition process. On that layer they applied a laser “erasing” technique, which allowed them to create a precise pattern on the surface and adjust your electrical impedance. In this way, they claim, they managed to make the coating effectively absorb electromagnetic waves without needing to increase its thickness or weight. The result is a flexible, ultralight metasurface with an adjustable sheet resistance between 50 and 5,000 ohms per square. {“videoId”:”x9ri2iu”,”autoplay”:false,”title”:”How China, the biggest polluter on the planet, has also become the complete opposite”, “tag”:”webedia-prod”, “duration”:”740″} Laboratory tests showed that the material maintains stable performance even under extreme conditions. After five minutes of exposure to 600 degrees Celsius in air, it retained its absorption capacity, and also withstood prolonged heating to 1,000 degrees in a vacuum without degrading. In tests with air currents of up to 200 meters per second, its loss of efficiency was less than 1%, and neither the surface pattern nor the resistance of the sheet were altered. These properties make it an ideal candidate for high-speed aircraft exposed to intense heat and friction. Withstood prolonged heating to 1,000 degrees in vacuum without degrading The material described in the study poses a possible alternative to conventional coatings, although it has yet to be demonstrated whether its advantages are sustainable outside the laboratory. US stealth fighters, such as the F-22 and F-35they use absorbent compounds They offer good initial performance, but require constant and expensive maintenance. In China, the J-20 has been seen with a coating apparently more stable, although those impressions come from displays and not verifiable technical data. The difference, for now, is in the discourse rather than the evidence. The new coating is still far from becoming a technology in real use, but it illustrates the direction of Chinese research in stealth materials. The challenge is not only to achieve high performance in the laboratory, but to keep it in flight and under extreme conditions. Chinese scientists aim to solve one of the most persistent limitations of modern fighters: the fragility of absorbent coatings. If the material achieves this stability, it could open a different stage in aircraft protection. In Xataka We believed that the F-16s were Ukraine’s great achievement: it has just taken the first step to receive up to 150 European Gripen fighters Beijing has set 2035 as the horizon to complete the modernization of its armed forces. In this context, the development of new compounds, sensors and materials responds to a broader policy aimed at strengthening its technological and military industry. Each advance in the field of stealth materials is interpreted not only as a technical improvement, but also as a step towards greater strategic independence. Images | Wikimedia Commons | Arthur Wang In Xataka | The Chinese ambition to lead each and every area of ​​the planet has found its next adversary: ​​Jaén (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); } })(); – The news In China they have created a material for their fighters that opens a new technological direction: it aims directly at radars was originally published in Xataka by Javier Marquez .

A poster at the University of Granada uncovers one of the big problems of generation Z: “helicopter parents”

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The Faculty of Educational Sciences of the University of Granada has become famous this week for a simple paper poster that has become viral on social networks. In the message, posted by the Vice Dean of Internships, you can read: “Parents are not attended to. All students enrolled in internships are of legal age.” Among thousands of other users, the poster was spread by the professor at the University of Granada Daniel Arias Aranda in your LinkedIn profile, stating: “When you have to put up this sign at the university, something is going wrong. Dear student: solve your own problems and don’t boss around mom and dad. Remember, the age of majority in Spain is 18.” Debate in networks: autonomy and maturity. The reactions on social networks have not been long in coming, with an intense exchange of opinions between students, families and teachers. There are those who strongly defend that the students “are too old to defend themselves,” as one student pointed out. interviewed by Antena 3and that “it makes no sense for parents to go to manage exams or tutorials.” Tap on the image to go to the original message On the other hand, the general secretary of the Association of Friends of Vicente Aleixandre responded to the message of the professor from his account on Another user went even further, thinking that “It should even be illegal, a person of legal age is no longer represented by his parents in legal dealings unless a judge determines otherwise; I consider that assisting parents goes against the autonomy of the student’s will.” helicopter parents. In the background of the conversation hovered – pardon the redundancy – the concept of “helicopter parents”, a term coined in 1969 by the writer Haim Ginott in his book “between parents and children“. The term describes the behavior of mothers and fathers who are so attentive to every issue of their children that they often intervene in processes that they, as adults, they should resolve on their own. Especially in university or work matters. However, a study revealed that this excess of control can lead to children with problems resolving conflicts and dealing with daily stress, something that would make them more anxious and dependent. Although the staff of the University of Granada I remembered in The Country They remember that, fortunately, these are “completely isolated cases”, the placement of the poster was motivated because some parents have come to make complaints, manage enrollment or request explanations directly from the university staff on behalf of his children. “In these cases, I explain to the mother that what needs to be promoted is the student’s critical reasoning, that he is the one who refutes a correction, not his parents,” he declared to The Country José Ángel Morales García, professor of Neurosciences at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). A new parent profile. Beyond the helicopter parent phenomenonanother of the social keys that explain the rise of the debate is that current university students belong to generation Z, whose parents belong to generation X or millennials, born between the seventies and the nineties. This generation of parents was the first to go massively to university in Spain and is made up of professionals who have worked in multinationals, which gives them sufficient solvency to feel like legitimate interlocutors with teachers, academic staff and even before recruiters for a jobcoming to assume a more leading role than the student or candidate themselves. Compared to previous times, the fact that a greater proportion of parents have university experience has changed the relationship with the centers. Now they feel entitled to intervene or debate because they know the system from within. Even so, teachers insist that “the academic relationship is between the student and the university.” The research reveal that encouraging independence during youth improves their maturity and self-esteem. In Xataka | Silicon Valley’s “tech” generation Z has given up alcohol: its new fun is 92 hours of work Image | Pexels (Arina Krasnikova), Daniel Arias Aranda

Colon cancers are increasing alarmingly among young people. We have a suspect: sedentary lifestyle

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colon cancer It is one of the tumors that has increased its incidence the most in young adults over the last few decades, a trend that is very worrying because has made science need to answer why. One of the most important points are the factors that are influencing more and more young people to begin to have tumors in their digestive system. A big problem. Colon cancer is undoubtedly one of the most aggressive diseases that we endure, and also really frequent among the population, with a really aggressive treatment with surgeries that can mean the removal of part of the colonbut also with a high mortality behind them. Its early diagnosis is so relevant that in Spain there are many autonomous communities that have screening programs either screening (although sometimes they fail like in Andalusia) to begin treatment in the case of positive cases, as soon as possible to increase their chances of survival. The problem is that this horrible disease is becoming increasingly prevalent, and science is seeing many factors that are important to take into account to try to reduce the chances of suffering from it. Quantified. This trend has been reflected in a published study in Annals of Internal Medicine which has detected that in many countries the number of cases among those under fifty years of age has grown up to four times faster than in older people. In the end, it is a phenomenon that has revived the debate about the causes and future strategies that must be taken in prevention and early detection. This is extremely important, since a timely diagnosis can mean a big difference in life expectancy who has a patient. The reasons. As stated in the Institute for Cancer Research, London After studying forty-two different countries, two main explanations have been identified. The first is the screening that is done among adults. Although it is very positive to do screening among the population for this disease, the reality is that there is an age limit from which these tests are carried out. This does not occur among the younger population who do not receive this type of screening tests on a regular basis, which may explain the accelerated growth in this group, since cancers are not diagnosed in the early stages. The second reason given is obesity. In this case It is considered a very important risk factor which drives the increased probability of suffering from colon cancer in young people and adults of all ages. Although it remains to be seen if there is an increase in its relationship with the younger population. Environmental factors. In addition to these two causes, the research led by the CNIO Digital Genomics Group in Spain provides new evidence about why this may occur. In his published study In Nature, the influence of the intestinal microbiota, particularly certain strains of E.coli intestinal, producers of the toxin colibactin. As we already sawthis can cause great genetic damage to colon cells that can accelerate tumor development. But other factors associated with the patients’ lifestyle are also being considered. In this case, the increase in type 2 diabetesespecially when there is a sedentary habit and unhealthy diets that seem to increase the risk of having this type of cancer. A Swedish study with a national cohort showed that people with diabetes reach an equivalent risk of colorectal cancer at younger ages than those who do not suffer from it, requiring prevention and monitoring before the standard screening age in the general population. But ultra-processed diets also come in here, excessive consumption of alcohol or even sugary drinkswhich can be an important risk factor. Prevention. Experts agree that there is no single and definitive cause, but rather a combination of genetic, biological, environmental and social factors. While research continues, it is proposed to implement comprehensive prevention policies that adapt to these realities. To do this, they aim to apply personalized screening that includes risk factors such as obesity, diabetes or family history. But we must also focus on research into how our microbiota can have an important implication in this. This forces us to have to take great care of what we eat and maintain adequate intestinal health. But the most relevant thing is to adapt the recommendations for starting screening for high-risk groups, such as young people who have diabetes or a family history so that they begin surveillance at age 40. Images | Ramon Inciarte Julia Koblitz In Xataka | Until now, different types of cancer required different types of treatment. A new vaccine wants to change that

Ukraine and Russia are not only fighting a drone war, but also deception

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The phrase was literal from a Ukrainian high command. The war they have been fighting since the Russian invasion in 2022 is currently the closest thing to a cat and mouse hunt. In the current asymmetric conflict between Russia and Ukraine, where every night a kind of war is fought over energy infrastructurewhat has put both commands on alert is not only the destructive effect of armed drones, but the massive expansion of cheap decoys that force defenses to be spent. Curiously, Russia and Ukraine have resorted to the same thing: Second World War. Alarm. While the Russian Shahed cause blackouts and the Ukrainian Lyutyi and FP-1 they light refineriesboth parties they use decoys whose objective is to saturate, deceive and exhaust the enemy interception layer, and it is precisely this logic of multiplication (the effectiveness not only of the direct impact but also of the distraction) that turns these decoys (decoys) into a strategic multiplier capable of amplifying an already harmful campaign. The historical precedent. The tactic it’s not new: modern military history contains paradigmatic examplesfrom the shadow analemmas to the jet-decoys of the 20th century. And, of all, the case of the ADM-20 Quail illustrates better than any the conversion of vulnerability into advantage through transient imitators that consume defender resources. The Quail, small and cheap compared to the bomber it simulated, carried reflectors and simple patterns of flight to deceive radars and force the expense of expensive interceptors. Today that principle applies miniature and industrial scale with easily manufactured platforms that, although lacking lethal capacity, force the adversary to decide whether to fire a missile worth hundreds of thousands of dollars or take the risk of missing what could be the real target. A B-52 launching a Quail decoy The Russian range and its role. Moscow, which in 2024 industrialized the shahed of Iranian origin to saturate defensesalso produces lures like the Gerbera and the simple Parodiya; some are volumetric replicas with lower mass and range, others incorporate equipment electronic warfare to scout and mark radar locations, and some even carry small explosives to wound recovery teams. This variety pursues three purposes: inflict material wear on missile and air-to-air missile reserves, reveal defense positions, and complicate radar discrimination with reflectors Luneburg type that make targets the size of larger vehicles appear on the screens. The practical result is an increase in false positives that degrades the efficiency of the defense chain. An Lyutyi The Ukrainian range. Ukraine, later to scale its drone campaign, has combined attack vehicles such as the FP-1 either the Lyutyand with low-cost devices designed in local workshops (plastic tubes, wooden frames, metal foil to increase radar section) to explore corridors and distract responses while the units that cause real damage take another route. When working as “pathfinders”these devices allow Ukrainian planners to plot and verify secure routes, test defense sectors and create temporary penetration windows. In other words, its appeal lies in the reduced cost and ease of production, which makes the lure a repeatable tactical capital. Ukrainian decoy Cost asymmetry. The economy of confrontation is brutally simple: a Shahed of a few tens of thousands of dollars can force a response with air-to-air or surface-to-air missiles whose unit price can multiply to those of the target by factors of tens or hundreds. It we have counted: recent examples, like Sidewinders or similar missiles, reach prices that make them strategically scarce. That cost-benefit ratio tilts tactical and political decisions: waste a critical capability on potential decoys or hold on to it and accept the damage? Its proliferation makes the first option a safe way towards the depletion of stocks and the second in a bet for local resilience and operational trickery. Gerbera Lures Defensive capabilities. Although Ukraine has developed anti-aircraft artillery units and interceptor drones that have proven effective, comprehensive defense continues to depend on missiles and systems that are finite. Electronics, spectrum warfare and mobile units provide mitigation, but the physics of aerial combat continues to offer opportunities to those who have the volume and creativity to saturate. The introduction of decoys with EW components or communications relays adds another layer: they not only distract, but can map defenses, degrade chains and amplify subsequent attacks with greater precision. Foreseeable evolution. The scenario drawn by the combination of attack drones and lures is dynamic: iterative improvement of decoys (more realisticwith greater electronic signatures, with active deception capabilities) will match the technical challenge with costly countermeasures (better discrimination, multisensory sensors, finer intelligence). At a strategic level, the proliferation of these tactics erodes sustainability from the intensive use of conventional interceptors and pressures nations to invest in alternatives: low-cost missiles for home defense, AI-directed interceptors, mobile deployments, and greater reliance on offensive electronic warfare. Meanwhile, in the short term, the Ukrainian tactic of using lures as a multiplier It increases the likelihood of real material damage to critical Russian systems and highlights a legitimate fear in Moscow: that its defenses will be exhausted before the real threat is neutralized. So? If you like, the decoys work like power amplifiers: not only for what they destroy, but for what they force the adversary to burn, reveal or reconfigure. The lesson historic quail applied to mini-UAVs provokes a contemporary dilemma where economics, logistics and homemade innovation can tip the tactical balance. For Russia, the proliferation of Ukrainian decoys represents a operational and symbolic threat: The erosion of advantage in expensive systems and the realization that modern warfare rewards not just direct explosion but the ability to manipulate enemy perception and expenditure, transforming false targets into a strategic weapon in their own right. Image | StahlkocherGASTELLO DESIGN BUREAU, In Xataka | Ukraine accelerates the assault on Russia with an unprecedented army of robots: they are aquatic, carry rocket launchers and are lethal if stopped In Xataka | Ukraine cannot believe what it found inside Russia’s ballistic missiles: déjà vu

“You have to take good care of the worker”

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Juan Roig, president and founder of Mercadonais one of the most successful businessmen in Spain, and has recently occupied much of the media interest following a presentation in front of 1,500 businessmen gathered at the 40th AECOC Congress in Valencia. in a stadium that bears his namefor more details. Faced with the growing controversy over tax pressure in Spain, Roig sent a clear and forceful message about the importance of paying taxes. “It is something very good and very healthy, and it is something to be proud of,” he assured the businessmen. Furthermore, in his proclamation he invited businessmen to “come out of the closet” and lose the “shame” of saying that “we make money.” Come out of the closet. During his presentation, titled ‘The pride of being an entrepreneur‘, Juan Roig urged businessmen to “come out of the closet” and feel proud to make money and paying taxes, something he described as “a very good and healthy thing.” Roig regretted that in Spain many businessmen prefer to hide instead of being visible references for society and not being ashamed. to earn money: “It is indispensable, good and satisfying. Although if it is the only purpose, it is not healthy,” the businessman said. Responsibility with society. The Valencian businessman emphasized that “it is not a problem for a businessman to pay a lot of taxes,” but rather it should be “to be proud of.” According to Roig, the real challenge is not paying those taxes, the problem is “how it is managed,” he pointed out. “We have to pay them, we already pay them, they raise them… Then the others have to know how to manage them,” Roig claimed. According to published The ConfidentialRoig’s group paid around 716 million euros in taxes in Spain, of which about 506 million corresponded to Corporate Tax. Roig agreed in his arguments with Ignacio González, president of AECOC that organized the event, who in his initial intervention recalled that tax collection had increased an average of 6% in recent years. A commitment to workplace well-being. In his speech, the founder of Mercadona left nothing out and also reminded businessmen of the importance of take care of your templates as a key piece for business success. In his speech, Roig insisted that “a worker is not only hands, but also heart and brain.” “You can buy the hands, the heart and brain you need to feel well treated as a human being, and well treated is not doing what the worker wants, but what the worker needs,” the businessman assured his audience. Next, he stuck out his chest and assured that a Type A manager at Mercadona, one of the most common positions in the supermarket chain’s staff, earns 2,100 euros per month net. According to published data by ABCthe salaries of the more than 120,000 employees of the Roig supermarket chain exceed the Minimum Interprofessional Wage by 27% and are above the sector average. Dichotomy between discourse and labor practices. Juan Roig’s message has raised some controversy on networks and some users They reproached him for the strict labor policies that, according to have denounced some former workers, Mercadona applies. Different judicial rulings have highlighted practices such as disciplinary dismissals which have been considered as unjustified and excessive. This contradiction between the public discourse in defense of fair wages and the well-being of employees, and the complaints of controversial working conditions, has focused an open debate about coherence between the business story and the daily reality of the workers. In Xataka | Juan Roig was right: Mercadona’s ready-meal supplier is investing 150 million more because we have given ourselves Image | Flikr (Informative Board), Wikimedia Commons (Carlos)

The Constitutional Court has frozen 6,700 million of the Wealth Tax. Millionaires will have to wait until 2026

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The Constitutional Court has delayed until 2026 its decision on the legality of the current Wealth Tax, a tax that affects some 200,000 taxpayers in Spain and that in recent years has collected more than 6.7 billion euros, according to advanced The Economist. This delay creates a lot of uncertainty about whether the wealthiest taxpayers They may or may not recover the amounts they have been paying since 2021, when the tax went from temporary to permanent and its maximum rate was raised to 3.5%. History of a controversial tax. He Wealth Tax was created in 1977 and was renovated in 1991 to redefine your goals. During the first government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, its tax was annulled, although the figure of the tax as such was not eliminated, and in 2011 it was temporarily reinstated due to collection needs. Since that date it has been extended annually under the label of “temporary” until in 2021 it became permanent and the maximum rate was raised from 2.5% to 3.5%. As and how he collected Five Days In 2021, this change was questioned by the Popular parliamentary group, which filed an appeal before the Constitutional Court arguing that such structural modifications – in short, a new tax was being firmly created – could not be made through a budget law, according to the article 134.7 of the Constitution. If it is found to be unconstitutional, the Treasury should return everything collected from this tax from 2021 with interest to its taxpayers, a payment that part of an estimate of 6,700 billion euros. The impact on taxpayers. Based on jurisprudence, if the Court declares the tax unconstitutional in its current form, only those taxpayers who have previously requested a rectification of their declarations or initiated a refund procedure will be able to recover payments. The rest would not have the right to recover what was paid because, generally, the sentences do not have retroactive effect, as already happened when the Supreme Court declared the capital gain null and void municipal and the payments had to be returned. Ángel Sánchez, partner of the Golden Partners firm, specialized in real estate taxation assured to The Independent who “The lack of certainty about whether the tax is constitutional or not has a direct impact on the economic decisions of taxpayers. Nobody knows if in a year what is paid today will be able to be claimed.” Given this uncertainty, the expert warns that “only taxpayers who have submitted a rectification request or, where applicable, an administrative claim will be able to recover what they paid. Anyone who has not acted preventively will lose that right.” It’s up in the air, but it’s still valid. Something that is tax experts warning is that, although the Wealth Tax is in question, until justice orders actions, they remain in force. That means that if taxpayers don’t pay While the tax remains in force, they could receive sanctions, surcharges and interest for non-compliance, regardless of what the Constitutional Court rules. Sánchez clarifies that “not declaring constitutes a tax violation. The appropriate strategy is to comply with the obligation and, in parallel, present the claim or rectification to keep alive the right to refund”, in this way, the amounts could be claimed if the Constitutional Court orders its repeal. The claim period covers tax years from 2021 to 2024. The future consequences. If the Constitutional Court endorses the constitutionality of the tax, it will remain in force and consolidated as a permanent tax. On the other hand, if it declares it unconstitutional, the Government could approve a new law that respects the appropriate legal procedures to maintain it. A debate could also begin about replacing it with another more uniform tax figure or one linked to the Solidarity Tax of large fortunes, which has had such good results. There could even be a partial declaration of unconstitutionality, reestablishing the previous maximum rate of 2.5% or returning the tax to the temporary nature it had since 2021, which would imply that the Government would have to extend it each year. In any case, the delay in the Constitutional decision keeps thousands of taxpayers waiting for a ruling that will define the immediate future of the tax and the possibility of recovering millions of euros that have been collected in recent years. In Xataka | Spain has increased its census of millionaires: only 27.6% are paying the Wealth Tax Image | Wikimedia Commons (K3T0), Unsplah (omid armin)

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