January 2026 - Page 62 of 81

features, price and technical sheet

January 9, 2026 by usatoday24

Mazda had no intention of jumping into the electric car. At least, he didn’t until he saw that the electric car worked for him. The performance of Mazda 6e in china made the company change its mind. With development that had largely fallen on Changan, getting on the electric car bandwagon was easier. If it worked, why not try it in Europe? It is still early to know the real performance of the model but one thing is certain: We already have the Mazda CX-6e with us. The company has presented the electric SUV that will accompany the sedan. Same spirit as its brother but now in SUV format. Mazda CX-6e technical data sheet Mazda CX-6e Body type Five-seater saloon Measurements and weight 4,850 meters long, 1,935 meters wide and 1,620 meters high. Wheelbase of 2,902 meters. Weight to be confirmed Trunk 468 liters. Maximum power 190 kW (258 HP) and 290 Nm. WLTP consumption 18.9 kWh/100 km DGT environmental distinctive Zero emissions. Driving aids (ADAS) Mandatory by the European Union. Others 26 inch screen Head-Up Display. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Electric hybrid. No. Plug-in hybrid. No. Electric Yeah. 78 kWh LFP battery (484 kilometers of autonomy) with 190 kW (258 HP) motor. Price and release Available summer 2026. Price to be confirmed. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? A 26-inch screen that sums it all up The electric car has become a headache for low-volume companies. Those with the muscle of the Volkswagen group have in their hands the ability to make investments profitable with a multitude of brands but companies like Mazda, with much more discreet sales, They need their shots to be as accurate as possible.. That is why their room for maneuver is narrower and they share developments where it is more difficult to make a car profitable. It is no coincidence that the Mazda 2, a small vehicle with a tighter profit margin, is a Toyota Yaris. And it is also normal that without a clear and decisive embrace from the public for the electric car, the company would resist to launch a new model on the market. However, its association with Changan in China has given it a wild card, an extra ball to test to what extent the public is interested in a Mazda electric car with a minimal investment. In the Asian country, the Mazda 6e was well received and that is why the company has tested it in Europe where it has obtained very good reviews but whose sales performance remains to be seen. The good thing for Mazda is that the risk is minimal. The burden of developing the car has fallen on Changan, who have also released an SUV version of the model in China. Mazda, for its part, has put its design and hallmarks. In fact, he assures that the cars that arrive in Europe are tuned by his engineers. And all that is what we find in the Mazda CX-6e, present at the Brussels Motor Show. On the outside, the Mazda CX-6e is everything we could waitr of a car from the Japanese company. Soft and rounded shapes with sharp headlights and a front lighting grill as we already saw in the sedan. But inside it maintains all the Chinese flavor of its Asian brother. And Mazda breaks with all the patterns that we had seen in the brand with a gigantic 26-inch screen and 5k resolution. Until very recently the company had defended small screens, away from the driver and even without touch functions when driving. Now it comes with a car without an instrument panel that focuses all the information on a panel that goes from driver to co-driver. Mazda says its 26-inch screen does not distract from driving The company ensures that the information can be divided into two clearly differentiated sections for the driver and the passenger, it has voice recognition in nine languages and a Head-Up Display that reproduces the navigation instructions so it offers “complete information without distracting the driver”, in the company’s words. It also has gesture control to navigate through sound functions and skip the use of buttons. Digital buttons, of course, because physicists are conspicuous by their absence. The infotainment panel is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and keeps the climate controls close at hand on a lower bar. On the gigantic screen you can control all driving assistance functions such as emergency braking systems, lane departure prevention systems or adaptive cruise control. The interior will have synthetic leather upholstery that will be available in three colors (beige, black and an amethyst and white combination, depending on the finish chosen). In addition, it is expected that, as with the sedan, it will have great interior habitability. The trunk is 468 liters. Regarding the battery, The Mazda 6e arrived with two battery capacities. On this occasion, Mazda will only offer one with the Mazda CX-6e in a combination that, if the sedan’s consumption is maintained, can give very good results. Thus, the car arrives equipped with 78 kWh LFP battery and a 190 kW (258 HP) engine that promises 484 km of autonomy according to the WLTP cycle. In the saloon, charging power was one of the car’s weaknesses. In the SUV, it comes with a good 195 kW of peak power when recharging, promising to go from 10% to 80% in 24 minutes. In this way, it is expected that with a recharge of just over 20 minutes the car will have between 300 and 350 real kilometers available before the next stop. Photos | Mazda In Xataka | I bought this car for a simple reason: I’m tired of giant screens

The CEO of Ryanair is clear about how he would govern a country. We are lucky that it doesn’t.

January 9, 2026 by usatoday24

Michael O’Leary has spent decades building a reputation based on provocation and irreverence. The CEO of Ryanair has not only built Europe’s largest low-cost airline based on surcharges on your services and open confrontation with clients, unions and regulators. He has also turned each interview into a showcase of extreme opinions that rarely leave anyone indifferent. The last of them, granted to the Financial Timesis especially revealing. In it, O’Leary explains bluntly how he would run a country if he had the chance. To no one’s surprise, his approach is not too far from what has been applying for years at Ryanair: treat everything as a balance of results, eliminate what is considered “inefficient” and assume political wear and tear as inevitable collateral damage. Govern a country as if it were Ryanair. O’Leary doesn’t hesitate when asked about his vision of power. As he explains, if he had to govern a country he would do it exactly the same as his airline. Aggressively cutting public spending and, especially, social benefits. “I would run it like Ryanair, I would cut it big… I would cut benefits big. Get a job!” he says without nuance in the interview. Even when he recognizes that there are people who cannot work, his conclusion remains the same and he would not hesitate to reduce this aid. “Are there people who cannot work at all? Yes, but it would also cut their benefits,” said the controversial manager, who maintains an extreme vision of the minimum State, where the social protection network is perceived more as a cost than as a collective investment. Millionaire politicians to attract talent. The most striking part of the interview comes when O’Leary addresses salary of the politicians. There are no cuts on the horizon. For the Irish manager, one of the big problems in current politics is the lack of talent, and the solution is to pay politicians as if they were senior managers. His idea is that “If you are prime minister or a minister, you should earn at least one million pounds a year”, which is equivalent to 1,152,900 euros at the exchange rate. Very far from the 93,145.20 euros that are assigned as salary to the President of the Government in Spain, or 182,400 euros gross per year who receives the President of the Republic in France. “Politicians must be paid much better, although saying so is political suicide,” giving Singapore as an example, where senior public officials receive very high salaries to attract the most talented profiles in the private sector to politics and reduce incentives for corruption. Zero personal affinity with Trump. O’Leary’s interview Financial Times It also leaves room for his relationship with Donald Trump. O’Leary recounts a direct call from the then-candidate in 2016, in which Trump insisted for almost an hour on increase flights from Ryanair to airports close to its golf courses in Scotland and Ireland. The current president of the United States even offered him accommodation in one of his hotels. O’Leary’s response to Trump’s offer was to avoid at all costs approaching any politician. “No, no way. It’s not my style,” the executive concluded, making it clear that personal harmony with Trump never existed, although both share a very similar vision of the world as a place where everything is negotiated. The same approach you apply to your passengers. O’Leary’s ideas on how to govern are consistent with the decisions he has made at Ryanair during the years who runs Ryanair. From defending the charge for using the bathroom on board to imposing increasingly complex surcharges for luggage or boarding passes. Everything responds to one income maximization logic and reduce costs, even if that means a more hostile experience for the customer. Their inflexibility with refunds is another example. In the interview he remembers the case of a passenger stabbed in an attack on a train in the United Kingdom who tried to cancel a flightbut did not obtain a refund for the ticket. “If the company had offered him one, the doors would have been opened to other demands for reimbursement,” said O’Leary, for whom the company’s efficiency and profitability always come before empathy. An old idea with dubious results. The proposal to manage a country as if it were a company is neither new nor exclusive to O’Leary. Elon Musk already defended openly that approach from the DOGE who led in the first months of the Trump administration. The result was especially negative for the cooperation policy and the operation of the US administration. Trump himself has applied this logic of business negotiation to international and economic policy with the imposition of tariffs as a negotiation weapon. The results, at least so far, do not seem to be giving the best fruits for the United States economy. In Xataka | When Ryanair CEO went to a restaurant he was charged for two extras: “priority seating” and “legroom” Image | Flickr (Polish presidency of the Council of the EU 2025)

best and worst, and what to take into account to make it cheaper

January 9, 2026 by usatoday24

We are going to give you several tips about when is it cheaper to put on the heatingsomething especially useful on winter days. Because turning it on first thing in the morning is not the same as turning it on in the middle of the afternoon, and at the same time turning it on first thing in the morning is useful depending on how long you are going to be there. To clarify everything, we are going to tell you What are the best times to turn on the heating?focusing on the electric ones, which are the ones that have varying prices. Then, we’ll also give you some optimization tips to keep in mind. The best times to turn on the heating The most important thing when it comes to knowing when it is best to have the heating on is to know if Is it electric or gas heating?. If it runs on gas, then you don’t have to worry, because all rates tend to have a fairly stable price throughout the day. But if you have electric heating, then you need to know a few things. If your heating is electric, you must know the cheapest time slots. If you have contracted electricity on the free market, each operator has its own prices. But if you have a regulated rate or PVPC (Voluntary Price for Small Consumers), you can check the prices on the website every day. esios.ree.es/es/pvpc of the Spanish Electrical Network. Although prices can vary a little every day at the PVPC, the normal thing is that There are times when it is always cheaper electrical consumption. For example, from 1 in the morning until seven, and from two in the morning until six is usually the cheapest, with other periods between ten or eleven at night, or until 1 in the morning where it does not reach the maximum price either. Therefore, it is advisable to turn on your heating during the hours where it is cheapest, first thing in the morning or in the middle of the day, or later when it is night and you again enter a cheaper rate. Always take these price fluctuations into account when turning your heating on or off. Best times to turn on the heating With what we have told you, on work days the best periods to turn on the heating are between 00:00 and 07:00and then during the day between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.. In electric heaters, the moment to turn them on is important, as we have told you, because that is when it consumes the most. The most expensive time is usually from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.moments in which turning on our equipment can cost between 2 or 3 times more compared to the most economical hours. On holidays and weekends electricity is usually cheaperand in addition to early morning, the lowest prices are usually between 10:00 and 15:00. Ignition timing is key One of the key moments is the time you turn on the heatingsince until the house heats up is when you will have a higher peak in electrical consumption. Therefore, always try to turn it on at the cheapest times of each day, although then you keep it a little longer than these price valleys, since once your house has a good temperature it will consume less. Other aspects to take into account When deciding to put on the heating, the main thing is the indoor temperature beyond the hour. Between 19 and 21 degrees is considered a comfort zone, while below 18 degrees it is advisable to turn it on. Keep in mind that each extra degree can mean extra consumption. Another important thing is whether you’re going to be home or not. For example, if you are cold in your house now but you are going to leave for several hours and no one will be there, then it is not worth turning on the heating, although you can consider scheduling it at a time when electricity is cheaper and there is little time left for you to arrive. In some cases you may be interested in leaving it programmed at times when electricity is cheaper so that the house maintains heat. Another thing to keep in mind is avoid constantly turning the heating on and offbecause you will consume more than keeping it on at times of higher prices. Cover photo | Skylar Kang In Xataka Basics | How to reduce water heater consumption: the second most consumed electrical appliance in the home after heating

The DGT is not going to fine for the V-16 beacons at the moment, and therein lies the key

January 9, 2026 by usatoday24

Since last January 1, anyone who is stranded on the road due to a breakdown has to place the V-16 beacon connected. And what happens if I don’t have it? Absolutely nothing. At least that is what the Government assures. Because, with the law in hand, the agents can fine us if they consider it appropriate. We also don’t know how long this “truce” will last. “It is not tax collection”. This is what Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated in the press conference in which he gave the results of the road accidents relating to 2025. The DGT has made public the accident data for last year but a good part of the press conference has revolved around the topic of the moment: the connected V-16 beacon that the DGT has been required to carry since last January 1. The agents, Grande-Marlaska assures, will not fine for a “reasonable” period of time, in words reported by The World. They do it because, they say, “our objective is not sanctioning or collecting, what moves us is the obligation to save lives.” “Reasonable”. It is the temporary measure that the Minister of the Interior has used to refer to the time that the agents have before fining. The word says nothing because, really, from January 1, 2026, Traffic can fine us for not having the corresponding signage elements. The fine is 80 euros and it does not take into account whether we carry the triangles with us because the only essential element in the car when signaling an accident is the connected V16 beacon, which must be approved by the DGT. And the triangles have been left in a kind of limbo so that the driver can do with them whatever he considers. Not now. The position of the DGT has changed over time. Since it was confirmed that the V-16 beacon would be the only signaling element of a road breakdown, the discourse has changed and its position has been relaxed. At first it was argued that the use of triangles could be grounds for a fine since an incident was not being correctly signalled. Now, Interior says that there will be a period in which fines will not be imposed for this. Later it was left up in the air whether the beacon+triangle combination was valid. Finally, it will be allowed put the triangles “at your own risk”. many doubts. In his speech, Grande-Marlaska pointed out that last year more than 100 people died on the road, “a significant number for getting off to put up the triangles”, in words reported by Motorpassion. In The World They point out that estimates point to 25 pedestrians dying while trying to put the triangles in what Grande-Marlaska describes as “bleeding.” However, as we have said in Xatakathe DGT has never offered clarifying data. Traffic has always classified these victims as people run over “after getting out of the vehicle” but without clarifying under what circumstances. They do not indicate whether they were hit when getting out of the car, putting the triangles on, changing a tire on the shoulder or waiting for help to arrive. According to their accounts, between 2018 and 2022 (a period that includes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic), an annual average of between 18 and 26 people died in accidents “after getting off the vehicle” on high-capacity roads. as reflected in the document itself which explains why the regulations and technical requirements of this connected V-16 beacon are changed. Taking the total number of deaths in this entire series (8,615 people, according to data from Statista), we are talking about just over 1% of deaths that fall into the category “after getting out of the vehicle.” No fines but no extensions. The result in the application of the measure has been paradoxical. From the Interior they say that the measure is “essential” to reduce the number of road accidents but omitting its use or not having the beacon will not be penalized despite there being no extension. And, at the same time, Traffic defends that it has not implemented an extension because it is something that has been known since 2023 and that we should have already purchased the device. According to Pere Navarrodirector of the DGT, “we considered delaying it” but that “would not have changed anything.” Also left to the driver’s discretion whether or not they want to put the triangles in despite the fact that they consider it a sufficient risk to promote a regulatory change. And they recognize that something has been done wrong with the communication of the new measure. Photo | DGT and Help Flash In Xataka | The V-16 beacon business: who is making money with the elimination of the DGT triangles

What are they and how do they affect the maximum speed on highways and highways?

January 9, 2026 by usatoday24

Let’s explain to you what are dynamic speed limits on highways and highways. Because no, the speed limits are not going to change forever nor are we going to say goodbye to 120 km/h, but in some sections the maximum at which you can drive will depend on each moment. Therefore, taking into account everything that is being said and exaggerated, we are going to try to explain to you how this type of speed limits works. Just remember that At the moment they have only been implemented in some sections of specific roads, not on all highways and expressways. What are dynamic speed limits? Highways and expressways have a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour. But when a section of road tends to have a lot of traffic or complications on a regular basis, or simply when the weather and visibility are poor, then these static limits can even become dangerous, because people tend to go faster than they should. For these cases, the DGT is beginning to implement a technology that has already been satisfactorily tested in countries such as Germany or France, managing to reduce accidents in high traffic areas. It is about the dynamic speed limitswhich will vary depending on the conditions at any given time. This technology uses artificial intelligence to record and process traffic or weather data in real time, and will take into account visibility, peak times, times and incidents that occur. With all this, The speed limit will be adjusted automatically taking into account the situation at all times. In the sections where it is implemented, the speed limit will be displayed on the illuminated panels on the roads. Thus, if the conditions are not bad, this system will at specific times reduce the speed limit from 120 km/h to 100, 90 or even 80 km/h. For example, if it is very foggy this morning, perhaps the limit is 120 to 80 km/h to avoid accidents. That limit to which it is lowered will be the legal one at the moment in which it is posted, so speeding will have fines which can range between 100 and 600 euros and between 2 and 6 license points. Come on, it doesn’t matter if you’re on a stretch of highway, if it says the limit is 80 right now, that’s how it is. For now, These dynamic limits have only been applied to one trackwhich is the AP-7, in one of its sections in Catalonia. Taking into account that it is a system that works satisfactorily in other European countries, if the bet goes well in this area, it would not be ruled out that it be implemented in others. Cover image | Jorge Franganillo In Xataka Basics | DGT express fines: what they are and how this new system works to notify violations in 48 hours

I have tried to buy one of the 7 euro Renfe tickets. And Renfe has done Renfe’s

January 9, 2026 by usatoday24

January 8 in Madrid. A cold that cuts the face. Traffic jams everywhere with the children returning to school. Back to normal, to the office. To the computer. Depression. We Madrid residents need few excuses to flee the city. Perhaps that is why the Renfe discounts sounded like a swan song. Beach and paella. It almost doesn’t matter if it’s in May, April or the next weekend in January. Aware that It would be almost impossible get a ticket at that price, I missed the opportunity to avoid unwanted frustrations. Let’s try tomorrow, see if… And here I am, hooked on the Renfe website, with thousands of people ahead of me in a virtual queue that leads nowhere. I was looking for a relaxing weekend. An appetizer to put in my mouth during this return to routine. And right now I feel like I’m in line at Doña Manolita on December 21, two kilometers from the door and 20 minutes until the lottery administration closes. Seven euros (or many more) And well, here we are. I go to the Renfe website. I select the offer that promises tickets for seven euros. And we have to wait. Seven minutes and just over 3,000 people. It could be worse, I think. Much worse, in fact, because since yesterday the website has been crashing. Of course, They are not the more than 166,000 people which my colleague Javier Pastor encountered in April 2022. Then the tickets cost 15 euros and there were 100,000 seats available to buy in three days. This time Renfe The number of seats has not been made public. but it has confirmed that the reduction with seven euro bills will be active until January 18. I think that with ten days of margin, the volume of people who aspire to buy their ticket will be somewhat lower. Time, in fact, seems to be working in my favor. The minutes are falling. A little slower than what is stated on the sign above but just over 10 minutes after logging in, Renfe confirms that I have started the purchase process. According to them, it should have been on the platform for a couple of minutes. I therefore have 18 minutes left. Or I should wear them. Because I confirm that I want to access the site as soon as possible. “Yes please”. The screen refreshes. Another minute has passed. We have 17 minutes left. “Yes please”. Wow, it seems that my turn has expired despite having waited patiently and confirmed all the steps without leaving the active tab (whatever might happen). And here we are, starting the whole process again. Again seven minutes ahead and more than 3,000 people in the virtual queue. My paella is starting to choke. Again, same screen: “Yes, please” This time yes. This time it seems that I have been able to access the platform. Obviously, the tickets are not as I expected. I sail between weekends. The only seven euro tickets on a Friday are those that leave at 6:30 am. I discard that option because I have the bad habit of working on Fridays. I choose to leave on Saturday at that same time. The relaxing weekend starts with an early morning, but hey, we’ll disconnect until Sunday night. But to return on Sunday night there are no offers. Accepting that I will have to spend more than 14 euros to go and return, I stretch the gum to the maximum. I tell myself “I’ll take Friday off on vacation but I’ll take full advantage of the weekend.” I’m going to June. I select departure at seven euros at 6:30 in the morning. But dynamic prices have done their thing. Returning on Sunday at the last minute will cost me over 60 euros. There are no longer even weekends at bargain prices. And assuming that hotels will be much more expensive, I return to the month of January. I think that going for seven euros and returning for 35 euros from Valencia is not bad at all. I have already taken the bait of compulsive buying and I’m not willing to let go. I select the departure on Saturday at 6:30 in the morning. I eat that paella. I select the return after 9:00 p.m. I’ll see what I do until that time, Alberto’s problem from the future. Mech. Mistake. Yes, I have selected the one-way ticket but Renfe tells me no. I refresh and go back. I select the idea again. I select the return. Now, I go one step further. It remains to fill in the traveler’s information and pay. I would like to do it but At this point the website freezes. It starts to malfunction. The scrolling is jerky and it is impossible to press any button. I can’t fill out the form. It won’t let me change the email. Of course, it doesn’t let me go to the payment platform. Soda. I have 4245 people in front of me. Photos | Renfe and Xataka In Xataka | Renfe is obliged to compensate for delays of more than 15 minutes starting January 1. The Government wants to prevent it

Starting Monday, everything is going to change

January 9, 2026 by usatoday24

As I write these lines, there is more than 13,500 homes without electricity in the Île-de-France and the culprit is only one: Goretti. A storm that, As Samuel Biener pointed outhas intensified very rapidly in the Atlantic and has hit Great Britain, France and the north of the Peninsula. It is the first named storm of the year and, in Spain, we have been somewhat lucky (because its trajectory has gone north), but it is a very clear reminder of the devastating effects of explosive cyclogenesis. Then, simply, there will come a thermal shift “from the bowels of the Atlantic.” Goretti and Spain. As I say, we will not bear the worst of the impact of the storm. But that doesn’t mean anything: Removing wind and swell in the Cantabrian Sea and the western Pyreneesthe greatest effect that our country will suffer is the mass of polar maritime air that will leave us with cool and humid weather in the coming days. That will bring widespread rain and snow, AEMET has made it clear that has been put on alert to 14 communities and the autonomous city of Melilla. However, we are talking about orange notices and, if we compare with what we have experienced in recent days, it will seem ‘almost’ little to us. Therefore, we have to be careful, yes; but above all, we have to look at next week. Script change. As explained meteorologist Víctor González“all the predicted scenarios indicate that a deep trough will be established to the west of the peninsula starting next Sunday and especially during Monday, January 12.” The specific consequences of this are not yet clear (there is some uncertainty), but the general scheme is: a south and southwest advection that will bring us “air of tropical maritime origin.” What can we expect? In two words: rain on the Atlantic coast, widespread thaw and much higher temperatures than we have been suffering. At least, for a while. Because, finally, southern advection will warm Spainbut (when it retreats and leaves us in an anticyclonic situation) the low insolation will activate what in other years we have called the ‘iberian freezer‘: the air mass stabilized over the peninsula will progressively cool until some low pressure system alters it. In short, let’s fasten our seatbelts because curves are coming. Image | ECMWF In Xataka | While the snow devours half of Europe, there is a place where it is 27ºC and on the beach in the middle of January: Greece

The US has taken over Venezuela’s oil. The problem is that the package includes a gigantic debt with China

January 9, 2026 by usatoday24

The map of world power has been redrawn in just one week. The capture of Nicolás Maduro by US forces is not just a regime change; is the birth of the “Donroe Doctrine”, a movement with which Washington seeks to consolidate an energy empire “from Alaska to Patagonia” to control 40% of world production. However, after the military euphoria in the White House, a dilemma of trillion-dollar proportions looms: the oil has been taken, but it is mortgaged, and China demands its bills. The collector at the door. Control of the largest reserves on the planet has put the US face to face with the great creditor of the Caribbean. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP)the current exposure in a state of “limbo” is estimated at $10 billion, although other estimates by think tanks collected by the same medium raise the historical debt to more than 60,000 million, much of it structured under the “oil for loans” model. But how was this sum arrived at? China needed energy for its industrial rise and Venezuela needed cash. Under this premise, Beijing financed railways, power plants and more than 600 bilateral agreements. Now, the great fear of the Asian giant is that the new government in Caracas —protected by the Trump administration— invoke the doctrine of “hateful debt”. As Cui Shoujun explains in SCMPthis legal remedy would allow the loans to be repudiated, alleging that China’s money did not benefit the people, but rather financed the survival of the regime. It would be the perfect “legal pretext” to clean up the balance sheets before the American oil companies take the reins. The agony of the Chinese state companies and the shield of the “Teapots”. The anxiety in Beijing is not just political, it is corporate. As revealed by Bloomberggiants such as China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) are carrying out damage assessments amid fears that decades of investments will evaporate. Nevertheless, according to information from Reutersthese companies still operate in the country through joint ventures such as Sinovensa, and control rights to reserves amounting to billions of barrels. However, China has an “ace up its sleeve.” A couple of months ago, they were absorbing 90% of measurable crude oil storage. Besides, as detailed by the Financial Timesmuch of the flow of Venezuelan crude oil arrived in China through the “teapots” (independent refineries), which bought the oil at steep discounts to avoid previous sanctions. By taking control of exports, the United States not only recovers crude oil, but also eliminates a key competitive advantage for the Chinese industry, raising its energy costs at a stroke. The technical paradox. Many wonder why Trump would risk so much for oil that seems “bad.” The answer is a necessary technical symbiosisAmerican and Spanish refineries (like Repsol’s) act as “stomachs” designed for heavy crude oil from Venezuela, which needs to be mixed with light oil from the fracking to produce diesel efficiently. However, the prize comes with a bill astronomical repair. The infrastructure is literally in ruins: loading an oil tanker today takes five days compared to the one day that was enough seven years ago, and the crude oil arrives “dirty” (with excess water and salt) due to lack of maintenance. Reconstructing the sector will require 10 billion dollars annually for a decade, to which is added the drama of natural gas: Venezuela today burns in “smoke” the equivalent of the consumption of all of Colombia due to pure technical negligence. The battle of the offices. Trump has taken control of the energy crown jewel, but has found himself with an astronomical repair bill and a Chinese creditor who won’t go away quietly. As the Financial Times warnsif the US decides to also suffocate supplies from Iran after this blow in Venezuela, China could see 20% of its cheap crude oil imports compromised, which would force Beijing into an unpredictable reaction. The real battle did not end with the capture of Maduro; It is just beginning in the offices of Washington and Beijing. Venezuela is the jackpot, but it is a prize that comes with fine print that could go bankrupt the financial balances of half the world. The oil era is not over, but the map of who controls it and who pays for it has been rewritten with blood and debt. Image | Luisovalles Xataka | The war in Ukraine has just met that of Venezuela: that means that its two invaders are facing each other

The judge has allowed it to eat up the inner courtyard of the block

January 9, 2026 by usatoday24

The elevator is a necessary element in any building, but there was a time when it was not so common. Many old buildings face a problem: they want to install an elevator, but it doesn’t fit in the stairwell. It is not usually common, but there are cases in which installing the elevator involves “eating” part of the homes. The conflict. Our colleagues tell it Xataka Home. Given the lack of space in the common areas, a community of Madrid residents unanimously agreed to install the elevator, occupying part of the private patios of the ground floor homes. One of the two affected homeowners took the case to court, claiming that installation in the stairwell was possible. The judge agreed with him and the community’s decision was annulled, but it didn’t end there. The sentence. The community of neighbors appealed to the Provincial Court, which ended up agreeing with them. The problem with installing the elevator in the common areas is that it did not comply with the regulations, but it also meant causing great damage to the building because the staircase had to be demolished, in addition to blocking access to the homes for a long time. The criterion was based on the general interest of the community and the fact that the installation in the courtyard was much more reasonable from a technical point of view. The private use. In the case of this sentence, the space occupied by the elevator is the private use patio of the first floor. That is, the property belongs to the community, but its use is exclusive to one of the neighbors since access is through their home. As stated in Economist & Juristhe article 9 of the Horizontal Property Law It is clear: “a permanent easement can be built over a private space, without requiring the consent of the affected owner,” as long as it is justified and is of interest to the community. Mandatory installation. The LPH establishes that the elevator is mandatory if a resident requests the facility for accessibility reasons. The community will be obliged to install it and its cost must be borne by all owners. It can also be approved by a simple majority, which prevents the installation from being blocked if, for example, the neighbors on the ground floor or first floor refuse to do so. Sometimes they eat the kitchen. There are many buildings without elevators that do not have space in common areas and, in some cases, their installation requires invading part of the homes or a commercial premisesthat is, a private property. As stated in The Confidentialthe Supreme Court declared that it is “an easement of passage in favor of the community.” Of course, in these cases the owner has the right to compensation, which will be set based on the value of the square meter. Or the street. In Madrid it is quite common to see elevators attached to the façade of the building and that invade part of the sidewalk. This is an exceptional measure to guarantee accessibility to the building, provided there is no other remedy. According to the regulationsthe sidewalk must remain at least 1.8 meters wide, although in some specific cases it is allowed to narrow to 1.5 meters and even 1.20 meters if there are no other options. In this case, the project must be presented to the city council, which is the one who studies and approves whether to grant the planning permission for works. In other communities such as Cantabria, lThe regulations also contemplate this possibility. Image | Laura Sacristán, Xataka In Xataka | What changes does the new Spanish regulations ask to make in elevators before July 1?

what they are and how to use them to give ChatGPT more functions

January 9, 2026 by usatoday24

Let’s explain to you What ChatGPT applications are and how to use thema functionality with which you can connect the artificial intelligence to third party services. This way, you can use features from Photoshop, Canva, TripAdvisor, Apple Music and many others right from the app. ChatGPT. We are going to start the article by explaining in a simple way what exactly these applications are and what you should know about their use. Then, we will tell you step by step how to use them. What are ChatGPT applications ChatGPT applications, also called GPT Apps or connectors, are extensions that allow AI to connect with external services to perform specific tasks. ChatGPT has several uses, but there are functions that it misses, ranging from precise edits to searching for your local or personal information. Therefore, where the limits of AI do not reach are those of the applications to which it connects. For example, you can connect with Google Drive, Outlook, Canva, TripAdvisor, TheFork, Apple Music, Photoshop, Teams, Dropbox, and many more. This will allow OpenAI’s artificial intelligence to gain other special powers, from search and reserve restaurants even checking documents in the cloud or your email. You will even be able to automate tasks and actions on other platforms. Here you should know that some of these interactions will require access to your accounts of these services, such as when you want to check your email or make a reservation. However, if you are only looking for general information it will not be necessary. If you need to link your personal account to this service, then you will be asked and given explicit permission, ChatGPT will not log into your account itself. When it accesses the data, it will do so with the permissions you give it, just like Google and so on. ChatGPT will not be able to see your passwords, but if it accesses your data, keep in mind that you will be sharing it with OpenAI, so be careful if you are concerned about your privacy on topics like emails, your Google Drive files, or social media data. How to use apps in ChatGPT There are two ways to use applications in ChatGPT. The first is click on the section Applications which you will find in the left panel, above the chat history. This will take you to a screen that is an index where you can browse all the available ones or use the search engine to find one. The second option is put an at sign @ and start typing your name in the chat where you write the prompts by ChatGPT. This will open a window where the names of the applications will appear as you type. When you tap on an app, you will go to the screen where you can connect it to ChatGPTchoosing whether you want it to use relevant memories and share its data with the application. If you don’t need to link your accountit will just be a switch. But some applications will ask you to link your account in them. In these cases, the screen will have a button linking to the service, for example Outlook, so you can log in and give access to ChatGPT. And now, all you have left is start using these apps. If you access them from the apps menu, you will have the option to start a chat with this service. If you access from the normal chat, just mention them with the at sign to write the prompt and ask them to do something. You can also attach elements or whatever is necessary for what you are going to ask them for. In Xataka Basics | 18 simple Christmas images that you can make with ChatGPT in a couple of clicks or a single prompt

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