Mobile Tech & Gadgets

The rarest element on Earth aims to cure cancer. And Europe is already accelerating its production

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In the fight against cancer there are many ‘weapons’ that we have at our disposalsuch as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The problem is that these are assimilated like bombing a city to destroy a single house: it is achieved, but with a lot of collateral damage. But this can be solved if We attack only what interests usin this case a tumor cell, and science points to one of the rarest elements on the planet as a candidate to achieve this. Where are we now. The goal of science is to find the most specific therapies possible so that they attack a tumor cell and not a healthy cell with the aim of reducing the adverse effects of the treatment and also being more effective. For this there are different options such as immunotherapy or the use of very specific antibodies, but there is still a long way to go. A particle. He astatinewhose name comes from the Greek astats (“unstable”), lives up to its name. It is the rarest natural element on Earth and disappears almost as soon as it is formed and that is very interesting to us. Especially a ‘version’ of this element which is At-211 which has a half-life of only 7.2 hours. But this instability is part of its magic. At-211 is what Texas A&M scientists call a “Goldilocks” isotope: perfect for the job. Its advantages. Currently, heto traditional radiation used in cancer treatments have a great impact on the body when traveling over long distances. But At-211 emits alpha particles, which is a heavy, slow-moving helium nucleus, which when emitted releases an enormous amount of energy, but can only travel a tiny distance, just the thickness of a few cells. This is crucial. Targeted Alpha Therapy involves “gluing” an atom of At-211 to a molecule (such as an antibody) designed to specifically seek out and bind to cancer cells. At-211 travels through the body, ignoring healthy cells, and when it finds its target, it anchors to the tumor and releases its alpha particle. The result is a localized and devastating explosion of energy, which irreversibly destroys the DNA of the cancer cell. But since the particle cannot travel any further, the healthy cell next to it will not be affected, making this an almost perfect killer. Your problem. At first glance everything seems great, but… Why don’t we use it? The answer lies in its availability, since it is impossible to mine astatine, since with a life of 7.2 hours the clock is running against it. The only way to obtain it is to create it artificially in a cyclotron, a particle accelerator. The process basically involves firing a beam of alpha particles at a Bismuth-209 target. Now the advance that has been achieved is to create a fully automated system to produce and ship the AT-211 as quickly as possible so that it can be used. In Europe. With this advance, which has been made in Texas, processing time is reduced and the safety of technicians who do not have to handle this substance increases. And while Texas A&M resolves supply in the US, Europe is making a move. The project Accelerate.EUfunded by the European Union, was launched at the end of 2024 with a clear objective: to create a robust and sustainable manufacturing and treatment infrastructure for At-211 throughout Europe. The project focuses on especially difficult-to-treat cancers, such as pancreas, breast and brain tumors (glioblastomas), demonstrating that this therapy is a global strategic priority. The future therefore lies in the possibility of using one isotope to illuminate the tumor and then using another to kill it, inaugurating authentic personalized nuclear medicine. Images | freepik In Xataka | The most unexpected treatment against cancer is LED light, and it is giving good results

The most expensive coffee in the world is Panamanian, it costs 850 euros and is served in the only place in the world where it makes sense

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James Hoffman is one of the top authorities in the coffee world. Best barista in the world in 2007 and coffee popularizerwas surprised to try the exclusive Japanese coffee for 315 euros per cup. let it be expensive or cheap It depends on each one, but It’s like roasted coffee next to the new most expensive coffee in the world: 850 euros per cup. And it is served in Dubai, of course. Julith’s coffee. The Al Quoz neighborhood of the Emirati city has a new pilgrimage point for specialty coffee lovers…as long as they have 3,600 dirhams from those of the United Arab Emirates, not those of Morocco. In exchange, about 850 euros for a cup served at Julith Cafe. Serkan Sagsoz He is one of the founders of this cafeteria that consider that the price is more than justified. It is a coffee with notes of “white flowers such as jasmine, also with citrus flavors such as orange and tangerine and a touch of fruits such as apricot and peach”, comment. The barista got 20 kilos of very specific beans named ‘Nest 7‘. It is a Geisha coffee (now we’ll get into that) and the bidding must have been truly crazy: it lasted 12 hours, registered 549 bids and the final price was exorbitant. 604,080 dollars which translates into 30,204 dollars per kilo. Geisha with note. The price of coffee is something that depends on a huge variety of factors: the economy of a city, the coffee shop, the origins of the coffee and the roasting process. It is not the same robusta coffee with uneven roasting than a specialty arabica. Neither does the coffee excreted by a civet. Whether it is justified is another story, but what is clear is that Geisha is one of the kings when it comes to expensive coffees. It is a Panamanian coffee that comes from Hacienda La Esmeralda. We have already talked about this specific coffeewhich has been establishing some of the records in the sector, and the reason why it is so expensive is summarized in that its cultivation is very complicated and production is low. These are the two factors that, added to the fact that the property is located in a enviable location for coffee cultivationthey make the price break ground every auction. Elitism also enters, since the variety has become one of the favorites in barista competitions. It is not unusual for it to win the “Best of Panama” award, but if in other years the kilo was around 10,000, the more than 30,000 that Julith Cafe has paid mark a new record. To contextualize, a “commercial” price that same day reached six euros per kilo. NASA production. El Geisha de La Esmeralda is not a specialty coffee, it is THE specialty coffee right now. This Nido 7, specifically, was harvested in April 2025 and immediately underwent a cold fermentation process for 48 hours. Subsequently, it was dried in a controlled environment to preserve its flavors and roasted, carefully controlling the process so that it was as homogeneous as possible. Limited. As we say, Judith got 20 kilos and they calculate that it is enough for 400 cups. It is not as quick as arriving with the money and drinking the coffee: you have to be prepared for an experience that they have designed and that includes a guided tasting through the entire production process of this coffee. Once the 20 kilos are gone, it’s over, but there are those who won’t have to worry about this: they have reserved some grains for the wealthiest palates. Sagsoz has commented that it would be “an honor to one day prepare a cup for the sheikh mohammed“With whatever you have loose in your pocket that day, you have something to invite. And…Dubai. Beyond the exclusivity of coffee due to everything that surrounds its production, it is evident that the Dubai factor comes into play. Sagsoz himself, whose cafe did not exist until he bought the Nido 7 cargo a few weeks ago, comments that “it was the perfect place for investment” because the Emirates is known for extravagance. They have some of the most ostentatious buildings in the worldhe Burj Khalifathe island for super millionaires, pharaonic works on the drawing tableand all kinds of extremely exclusive experiences. In fact, in September of this year, another coffee shop in the city had set the record for the most expensive coffee in the world by serving a cup of 2,500 dirhams, about 600 euros. With Julith’s 850, that record has disappeared and the reactions have been diverse: from the “It’s Dubai, what are you waiting for?” until opinions which allude to the fact that it is simply another experience for the richest to boast about. What is evident is that, although coffee is gaining a lot of ground in places where it did not have much prominence before –China, for example-, is also consolidating places like Dubai as part of the luxury coffee scene. And it is something that contrasts greatly with the so unfavorable situation of some farmers and the ambition that is leading to expand Geisha farms through illegal deforestation of protected areas. Images | Julia Coffee, Coffee with Joshua In Xataka | Coffee, tea or Coca-Cola: what is the most popular caffeine consumption in the main countries of the world

which cars can circulate and which rest on November 15

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The time has come. That’s right, Hoy No Circula Saturday returns for another week. As usual every Saturday, motorists subject to this program must comply with the measures established by the CDMX Environment Secretariat (SEDEMA) to improve air quality in the metropolis. The basis of these measures lies in reducing the number of vehicles circulating on public roads. Naturally, this means that certain cars must remain parked. These regulations, as you already know, are implemented in the 16 municipalities of the Mexican capital and in the suburban municipalities of the State of Mexico, which are detailed below: 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? Considering the above, how can we prevent a penalty for traveling irregularly? Without a doubt, the fundamental aspect is to be familiar with the regulations that are implemented. You can consult these regulations in the image that appears above. Each of these days has specific characteristics. While the regulations are precise, Saturdays experience subtle variations. The truth is that it is not always up to the drivers themselves to leave their vehicles parked. Briefly, during a Saturday the following situations can occur: Cars that can circulate every Saturday Cars that have to rest every Saturday Cars that rest every other Saturday These restrictions, however, are not in effect throughout the day. During night hours they are not considered and, consequently, they operate from 05:00 to 22:00. This means that during the night period we will have freedom of movement without worrying about possible violations. Having clarified these notions, what other aspects should we consider? The main thing is that Hoy No Circula Saturday does not work uniformly. It is necessary to check the calendar since Saturdays do not always restrict the same vehicles. The numerical termination of the plate will be the determining factor. Vehicles with hologram 2 are effectively obliged not to circulate. However, for example, vehicles with holograms 0 and 00 are not required to stop driving at any time. The latter enjoy total freedom of transit because they represent the automobiles with the lowest polluting impact. Now, what happens with hologram 1? On a Saturday like today, November 15, 2025it is appropriate that vehicles with hologram 1 and license plate ending in an odd number remain parked. The reason is that this Saturday represents the third Saturday of the month of September and, consequently, coincides with an “even week.” Next Saturday, the situation will be reversed and odd numbers will not be able to circulate. Even so, there are certain exceptions that are important to consider given that these vehicles will have permission to travel without restriction: Those that run on electricity, natural gas or are hybrids Those who have a disabled license plate All those dedicated to urban transportation services (includes funeral homes) Those that offer school or passenger transportation Those intended for public safety and/or civil protection If these provisions are violated, the economic penalty will range between 20 and 30 times the Measurement and Update Unit (UMA), which represents 1,924.40 pesos and up to 2,886.60 pesos. Photo | Baron In Xataka | Pollution is not only making you live less and worse. It’s also making you dumber

The enormous Mayrit tunnel boring machine on Metro L11 is already in Madrid. Now comes the real challenge: putting it together piece by piece

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In Madrid there are already the pieces of one of the largest machines that will work in the city’s underground in the coming years. It is about Mayritthe EPB tunnel boring machine 98 meters long and 1,500 tons in weight whose transport started in Germany, continued along the Rhine to Rotterdam and continued by boat to the port of Santander. After that journey, a special convoy has completed more than 450 kilometers by road to take its modules to the future Comillas station, where it will prepare to excavate the new section of Line 11 between Plaza Elíptica and Conde de Casal. The work on which Mayrit will work is part of a broader intervention that the Community of Madrid describes in 2025 as the largest expansion of the Metro network in the last decade. Official data published in November put progress at 34% and maintain a budget of 518 million euros to complete the new section and the planned stations. The regional government maintains the year 2027 as a reference to close this phase of the project. Mayrit is already in Madrid: one hour left to convert its parts into a single operational machine When dealing with a machine of this size and complexity, each phase of the process requires precision that goes far beyond conventional engineering. Mayrit’s journey towards Spain began long before it appeared on the road: it started in Schwanau, the German town where Herrenknecht completed its manufacturing after about 20 months of work. There, more than a thousand kilometers from Madrid, the tunnel boring machine It was assembled for the first time in June 2025 to carry out initial verifications. This assembly showed the magnitude of the next step: converting the machine into a set of parts capable of traveling around Europe without risks. Disassembling it was not a quick procedure. For the next two months, Herrenknecht teams dedicated themselves to separating each module following a sequence calculated to the millimeter. The result was a set of sections ready to begin an international tour. The disembarkation in the port of Santander marked the beginning of the last stage of Mayrit’s journey, a phase that requires coordination very different from that of river and maritime transport. The pieces arrived distributed in separate shipments and were transferred to prepared platforms, a process that is carried out with specialized equipment to avoid any unexpected displacement. The organization of the road transfer incorporated common protocols in special transport, with large-tonnage vehicles escorted by technical teams in charge of checking clearances, turning radii and urban accesses. The authorities confirmed that the advance was carried out mainly at night to reduce interruptions and facilitate maneuvers in the most delicate sections of the route. The arrival in the Comillas area required a final deployment of personnel and machinery to accommodate each piece in the work area, where the assembly phase that will transform this set of modules into a single operational tunnel boring machine is already awaiting. The arrival of the pieces also marks the beginning of a phase that, according to forecasts distributed between June and November 2025, can extend until March 2026. Assembling a TBM requires joining modules in a strict order, connecting hydraulic and electrical systems, and performing tests that are concentrated between late January and February. It is a sequential process that is not resolved in a few days and that determines the date on which the machine will be able to start digging at the beginning of March. The official documentation describes Mayrit as an EPB machine adapted to the geotechnical characteristics of the layout. Its operation is based on maintaining a balance of pressures that prevents unwanted movements on the surface, especially relevant in urban environments. To sustain this process, shifts of specialists are involved who manage the control and evacuation systems of the excavated material. The expected performanceclose to 15 meters per day, will be decisive in setting the pace of mechanized advance. Comillas will be the point from which Mayrit will begin the mechanized sectionaccording to the forecasts that the Community of Madrid has been detailing since June 2025. From there it will advance to Conde de Casalwhile in parallel the manual excavation of about 700 meters towards Plaza Elíptica progresses, started in September with a performance of close to 50 meters per month. The beginning of the excavation will mark the jump between the preparatory work and the actual progress of the tunnel that will transform this section of Line 11. With each meter excavated, the planned layout will get closer to its final shape and will allow the progress of the project to be measured more clearly. It is a significant element within regional planning to reinforce mobility in one of the areas with the most demand on the network. Images | Community of Madrid In Xataka | Malaga has become a magnet for the most luxurious yachts in the world: the latest, that of the co-founder of Google

Grokipedia claims to aspire to the truth. An investigation has just shown that he cites neo-Nazi forums and conspiracy websites

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The proposal of Grokipedia came accompanied by a direct message: aspire to “the truth and nothing but the truth,” as stated by Elon Musk in X. That statement takes on a new context. after the publication of a Cornell Tech study which examines how various entries are constructed and what fonts they use. The analysis shows that, along with content inherited almost literally from Wikipedia, there are articles that use sources cataloged by academic institutions and verification organizations such as neo-nazi spaces or openly conspiratorial sites. At first glance, Grokipedia takes on a familiar appearance: a home page dominated by a search engine and articles with headings and references. The inner workings, however, are much less transparent. Users do not have a clear system to suggest changes and, at the top of some entries, the label “Reviewed by Grok X weeks ago” appears, indicating an intervention by the AI ​​chatbot without detailing criteria or those responsible. In Wikipediathe edition history is public and allows each modification to be reconstructed. Grokipedia under the magnifying glass The aforementioned analysis compares both platforms on a large scale and points out that, although Grokipedia publishes longer articles and with twice as many citations as Wikipediamuch of its content comes from there. Of course, the coincidence varies: pages with a Creative Commons (CC) license present very high similarities, while those generated without that license are further removed from the original. One of the most delicate issues is the appearance of references to controversial platforms. InfoWars, which according to the authors is not cited even once on Wikipedia, has 34 mentions on Grokipedia. The pattern is repeated with other low credibility domains: Stormfront reaches 42 citations, LifeSiteNews reaches 100 and the Global Research and VoltaireNet sites register 51 and 45 references respectively. All of them are practically non-existent on Wikipedia, reflecting clear differences in source selection filters. Elon Musk’s entry in Grokipedia To mention a few examples, Leiden University characterizes Stormfront as a forum associated with right-wing extremism already current neo-naziswith a founder linked to Ku Klux Klan and a trajectory mentioned in several studies for its relationship with violent incidents. PolitiFact, on the other hand, defines Infowars as a portal dedicated to conspiracy theories and run by Alex Jonesa presenter known for promoting this type of content. This is what the edition history looks like in Grokipedia What appears in the study is not limited to counting how many times these domains are cited. It also highlights that the presence of sources considered unreliable or directly discarded by Wikipedia is much more widespread in Grokipedia. And one of the authors, in a text published in Indicatorcollects this accumulation of low-quality references to describe a broader pattern: Grokipedia seems to be making its own editorial decisions that alter the focus of certain topics. It remains to be seen how Grokipedia will evolve and what publishing model it will adopt as it grows. No encyclopedia works as a perfect reference —neither Wikipedia nor Grokipedia—, but they do operate with different mechanics. As we say, Wikipedia relies on an open community with standards, public debates and an accessible history of changes; Grokipedia, on the other hand, is based on criteria that are more difficult to follow from the outside, with an AI assistant that intervenes in the texts and without a clear human collaboration system. Images | Gage Skidmore (C BY-SA 4.0) | In Xataka | Carnegie built libraries, Gates sold them on CD-ROM, Musk locked them in an AI: the history of knowledge control

half of the female seals have already disappeared

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The bird flu It is a disease that is on the lips of many people in Spain right now due to the great impact is having on our birds, causing many pens to have to be confined. But a variant of this virus is also wreaking havoc in Antarctica, causing the death of thousands of sea seals. A broken sanctuary. Antarctica was a frozen and impenetrable sanctuary, until now. The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus, a variant of avian flu, is arriving on the subantarctic coasts to stay. And it has done so by causing a “massacre” according to the scientists themselves, which have determined the death of 50% of reproductive female elephant seals from the south on the island of South Georgia. The discovery, led by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), is not just a tragic figure; It is confirmation that the virus has found a new and effective transmission vector: marine mammals and not just birds. How it was revealed. Quantifying mortality in colonies as dense as this one in South Georgia is not easy. And we are precisely talking about the home of the largest population of sea seals, making counting them a titanic and risky task. This is where technology comes in. The Bamford team used drones to fly over breeding beaches. Comparing population density before and after the arrival of the virus, they documented a loss of half of adult females. This non-invasive method has been key to obtaining accurate data without interfering in an already devastated ecosystem. It is not isolated. What is happening in South Georgia is the chronicle of a death foretold. This event is the continuation of the “first wave” that hit Argentine Patagonia. A previous study, published in Nature Communicationswas the first to set off all the alarms. This work not only confirmed the jump of the virus from birds to elephant seals, but also demonstrated what the scientific community feared most: sustained transmission between mammals. The ideal breeding ground for this virus were the elephant seals that live crowded on the beaches during the breeding season, they became a perfect breeding ground. The virus no longer needed birds to spread. Out of control. In this way, the H5N1 has become a panzootiathat is, an animal epidemic on a planetary scale. Although the media focus right now is on Antarctic mammals, and in Spain on poultry, the reality is that we are talking about a much bigger problem. According to the latest report from the World Organization for Animal Health, the virus is already has affected more than 150 million birds in 84 countries, either by direct death or by the emergency sacrifices necessary to contain it. To monitor this serious problem, the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR) maintains an updated database that centralizes all detections of HPAI in Antarctic fauna. And the risk in humans? It is the inevitable question. If the virus has learned to jump from birds to mammals and transmit efficiently between them (as happens in seals and elephant seals), are we humans next? The latest risk assessment from WHO, FAO and WOAH keep calmbut with nuances. Right now, the risk to the general human population is still considered ‘low’. However, the report warns that this is an infection that should be closely monitored as it provides the virus the opportunity to better adapt to hosts. In short, every seal that becomes infected in the Arctic is a new probability that the virus ends up mutating and that it finally becomes a major security problem for everyone. Images | Yuriy Rzhemovskiy Fusion Medical Animation In Xataka | An old hypothesis about the origin of life has received a new boost: solving its “chicken and egg” problem

make your energy incredibly cheap

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At dawn, in the Alxa Desert, in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, a huge white structure began to rise above the horizon. It was not a balloon or a meteorological experiment: it was a 5,000 square meter kite, designed to generate electricity hundreds of meters high. No blades. Last Wednesday, the test of what is the first Chinese national project dedicated to developing high-altitude wind energy took place. The kite, developed by China Energy Engineering Corporationwas raised with helium balloons to a height of about 300 meters before being successfully deployed. In addition to the gigantic main model, two additional 1,200 m² kites were tested. According to Global Timesthe test consisted of fully deploying and retracting the kites, an essential step to validate their operation in real conditions. During the test, engineers measured the tension of the system and the aerodynamic behavior of the fabric to collect data that will be used to fine-tune the final design. Cao Lun, head of the national high-altitude wind power project, told Xinhua —cited by SCMP— that the test campaign will allow “the kite to be optimized and the foundations to be deployed to deploy the complete system and define its standards.” A new energy frontier. Studies from the Carnegie Institution for Science They estimate that high altitude winds They contain enough energy to supply global demand more than 100 times. The reason is simple: in the upper layers of the atmosphere the winds are faster, more constant and more energetically dense. Added to this is another decisive argument. According to CCTVkite systems can reduce land use by 95%, save 90% of the steel needed in a conventional wind farm and reduce the final cost per kilowatt-hour by around 30%. The potential is such that a single 10-megawatt system could power more than 10,000 homes a year, without towers weighing hundreds of tons or extensive foundations. How do these kites work? The technology tested belongs to the category of terrestrial systems: the kite does not carry a generator in the air, but rather transmits its traction through a cable that moves a generator located on dry land. The process follows a mechanism of “shoot and collect”: Helium balloons raise the kite to operating height. The aerodynamic fabric unfolds and captures powerful winds. The traction tightens the cable and rotates the generator. To retract it, the kite adopts a posture of minimum resistance, reducing energy expenditure to a minimum. The cycle repeats itself. Someone came forward: Ireland. This time it was not China, as so many other times, but Ireland. The Dutch company Kitepower tested 60 m² kites capable of rising up to 425 meters, generating electricity through a figure-eight flight pattern—similar to kitesurfing—that maximizes traction. Each kite can produce up to 30 kW per hour. However, the differences are notable because European kites are much smaller than Chinese ones, European systems stand out because they can be deployed without civil works. Furthermore, the European objective is to take these kites to islands and remote communities that today depend on diesel. On the other hand, the Asian giant seeks to feed entire cities from the heights. Is the future of energy in the sky? If these giant kites manage to take off not only in tests, but in real production, we could be facing a new way of generating renewable energy: light, cheap, scalable and capable of using an almost infinite resource. Perhaps, soon, wind farms will not be measured by the height of their towers, but by the size of the kites that fly through the sky. Image | XinhuaNews Xataka | The immediate future of Airbus involved the green hydrogen aircraft. It’s not so safe anymore

We choose our vacations in the series. That is why 44% of our tourists have discovered us on the screen

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Spain has a significant history as a movie settingsometimes with more glamorous glitz than our own national cinematography. The natural landscapes and the diversity of ecosystems create a western desert in Almería that, in the north, approaches the Nordic air landscapes (but without bad weather) of a sword and sorcery production. But with the arrival of streaming (and the international reach of the Spanish series), Spain is beginning to shape itself as a perfect destination for travelers with audiovisual culture. Booming phenomenon. 44% of foreign visitors discover and choose destinations in the country after seeing them in audiovisual productions. It is data provided by The Screen Tourism Observatorywhich speaks of this type of travel as one of the tourism segments with the greatest projection in 2025. This type of tourism moves 40 million international travelers each year worldwide, and Spain is benefiting from it. How it works. According to comments Carlos Rosado, president of the Spain Film Commission, where the public filming offices in Spain are grouped, a film or series acts on the viewer like a virtual brochure, with different advantages over traditional tourist advertising: it is longer in time, reaches more people and creates emotional ties. Spectators become potential tourists thanks to the places in the north of the peninsula that, for example, are seen in ‘Game of Thrones’. Perfect scenario. Spain became a relevant Hollywood set in the 1950s, when the major studios discovered its advantages for filming: diverse landscapes and costs up to 50% cheaper than in the United States. From that time come films such as ‘El Cid’, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and, without leaving Europe, the more than 300 films that the Eurowestern factotums filmed in the desert of Tabernasin Almeria. The difference with the present is that those super-productions did not generate tourist flows. But now yes: for example, from the fifth season of ‘Game of Thrones‘, when HBO filmed in the Alcázar of Seville, Girona and other Spanish locationstourism in Seville increased by 25% and in Osuna by 75%. And San Juan de Gaztelugatxe became the second tourist focus in the Basque Country after the Guggenheim. By countries. In the aforementioned study by the Screen Tourism Observatory, carried out with thousands of surveys and an exhaustive compilation of online opinions, we discovered that Germans lead this type of tourism, with 53% having visited Spain after seeing it in audiovisual productions. Italy follows with 46% and the United States with 45%. Among them, half opt for self-guided routes and not organized trips. He is “an autonomous, curious and digitally informed screen tourist, who prefers to design his own experience rather than contracting closed products.” Go to more. Along these lines, the Spain Film Commission itself has launched the Experiences programa project financed by the Secretary of State for Tourism, which wants to transform Spanish audiovisual heritage into sustainable tourist experiences. The proposal will have pilot experiences in Formentera, Seville, Galicia and Burgos that will serve as a model to develop a methodology that will be repeated in other areas of Spain. On the horizon, phenomena such as New Zealand, a benchmark after ‘The Lord of the Rings‘, and who experienced a 40% increase in tourism between 2000 and 2004. Very attractive figures that we will try to replicate with all these proposals. Header | Clementp.fr In Xataka | The reduction of the working day to 37.5 hours was going to sink the hospitality industry: a hotel chain in the Balearic Islands has proven the opposite

young people have embraced “B salaries”

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Although the Spanish economy seems to growthe economic situation for many workers It’s not so positive. This precariousness is causing almost half of young people to accept a “B salary.” That is, with money undeclared. According to a report recent InfoJobs report, one in four Spaniards would be willing to receive part or all of their salary in black if that serves to increase their monthly income. Submerged precariousness. What is more ethical not making ends meet or arrive breaking the law? According to the report ‘Moonlighting and Salaries in B‘ prepared by InfoJobs, 26% of Spaniards are clear about their answer and prefer to collect part or all of their salary in B, and one in 10 acknowledges having done so in the last two years. This figure represents an increase compared to the same 2020 study, in which the number of workers willing to collect part or all of their salary in black represented 23%, but a decrease compared to the 2023 data, which places that percentage at 28%. The data, significant in itself, becomes more worrying when broken down by age: among young people between 18 and 24 years old, the proportion that would accept receiving their salary in black is close to half (48%). Salaries that do not arrive. This data reflects the real need to increase income in the face of wage stagnation and the increase of the cost of livingespecially in those who earn less than 1,000 euros per month. In that salary range, payment acceptance in B reaches 38%, regardless of age. Mónica Pérez, director of Communication and Studies at InfoJobs, points out that “the loss of purchasing power and the difficulty in accessing quality jobs are pushing many workers to look for alternatives to maintain their standard of living.” This is not a marginal practice, but an increasingly common reality for those who, as the data demonstrate, they have low salaries and unstable contracts. Among the people who declare having received part of their salary in B in the last three years, 69% claim to have received up to 20% of their salary, and 22% indicate having received between 21% and 60% of their monthly income with undeclared money. Job insecurity. According to the report, there is a close relationship between the payment of black money and job insecurity. 30.3% of employees who claim to have received payments in B as part of their salary had non-regulated training. At the opposite extreme, only 13.2% of employees with higher education or 14.1% with medium training cycles received this type of payments. Among the reasons why employees have accepted this type of remuneration, it stands out that 50.3% claim that it was the only option offered by their company, followed by 29.4% of employees who stated that this remuneration was actually a remaining part of a salary that they needed to complete. Bad salary, bad retirement. Although for many employees being paid at B is more a matter of survival than an economic plan, accepting salary payment at B implies partially giving up social rights that are governed by labor contributions. That is, if part of the salary is collected in black, the contribution base is lower, so the sickness benefit, unemployment benefit or retirement pension are calculated on a lower base and the amount is lower. In Xataka | Although salaries have risen 8% in Spain, an upward trend emerges: poor workers Image | Image | Unsplash (Shoeib Abolhassani, Ru Dur)

It is the new battlefield in the price war against Ouigo and Iryo

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Just a few days ago, Trainline confirmed what we began to suspect for a long time: trains are rising in price. According to their data, Renfe, Ouigo and Iryo have increased their rates up to 40% in some cases and are forgetting their price war. Or they seemed to be forgetting. Because Renfe has pressed the accelerator in Andalusia. The offer. From Madrid to Seville or Malaga for seven euros. It is Renfe’s temporary offer which will be active between November 14 and 18. Every day a limited number of places will leave with ridiculous prices to move through the Andalusian corridor, with stops available in Ciudad Real, Puertollano, Villanueva de Córdoba, Córdoba, Puente Genil or Antequera, in addition to the cities already mentioned. The trains, of course, are part of the AVLO offer, the service low cost of Renfe that fights with Ouigo and Iryo to attract passengers at lower prices. The difference with the AVE lies, above all, in a greater number of stops and therefore a travel time that is usually longer. Price war? In recent months we have seen how high speed prices have risen. And they have risen a lot, in some cases. The most recent data is brought and collected by Trainline, the train ticket price comparator Expansion. Trains have become more expensive by up to 40% in one year on the Madrid-Barcelona corridor. The data reflect something that Álvaro Fernández Heredia, president of Renfe, already warned. “If they raise the price, we will follow them”announced a few weeks ago in an interview with Chain Being in which he also attacked his rivals, warning that they would have to explain why they come to Spain to lose money. The data of the CNMCwhich always arrive with some delay (the latest refer to the first half of the year) also point to an increase in the price of tickets but it is Madrid-Barcelona that has concentrated this growth. In the Andalusian and Valencian corridor, prices have fallen year-on-year. The Andalusian runner. The departure of the AVLO on the Madrid-Barcelona route, which does not have a confirmed return date, confirms that this route is the most expensive in Spain because its travelers are less susceptible to price variations. In fact, it is the corridor with the highest average price for all operators and in their sum, with a cost of 63.14 euros on average for the traveler and an increase of more than 15% compared to the first half of last year. In Andalusia, however, things are very different. Madrid-Málaga has maintained its year-on-year prices despite the fact that high speed has increased in general terms (-1.2% compared to the first half of 2024). And Madrid-Sevilla has dropped by more than 8%. In the absence of new data from the CNMC, we do know that Renfe increased the prices of its AVLO compared to the previous year by 3.4% but reduced those of the AVE by 3.8%. Taking into account that the average ticket price of the latter is 55.92 euros compared to 42.44 euros for the AVLO, the reduction is more noticeable than the increase in its range low cost. Ouigo in Andalusia. It must be taken into account that Ouigo arrived in Andalusia at the beginning of 2025, which is why last year two companies (Renfe and Iryo) were competing. The French company saw clearly that it had a gap to gain in the Andalusian corridor and that it was more sensitive to price variations than Madrid-Barcelona, ​​which is why It partially removed its trains from the latter and focused them on the southern corridor. Consequently, prices fell and in the absence of the CNMC making public the report that includes the data for July, August and September, already in June we saw a substantial reduction in the price of tickets compared to 2024, with falls of more than 28% in Iryo, greater than 22% in the AVE and 26% in AVLO. On average, prices that month fell 25.4%. In recent months, the battle in the southern corridor has continued. To the Renfe offer we must add the one that promoted Ouigo just a few weeks agoconnecting Barcelona with Seville for just over 20 euros. A way to continue competing in Madrid-Barcelona while maximizing resources. direct marking. The launch of new offers shows how Ouigo and Renfe mark each other closely. The Andalusian corridor in the first half of the year has been the place where Ouigo has put the most effort and where it has differentiated its prices the most from its competitors. In Madrid-Barcelona, ​​the difference in the average price between Ouigo and Renfe remained below two euros. In Madrid-Valencia and Madrid-Alicante it was even less, just a few cents. In the Andalusian corridor, however, Ouigo tickets were sold almost five euros cheaper than AVLO tickets in Madrid-Seville and the same situation was repeated in Madrid-Málaga. Photo | Smiley.toerist on Wikimedia In Xataka | If the summer has taught us anything, it is that Spain does not need more trains. You just need them to work.

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