usatoday24

Amancio Ortega has become the largest investor in the Ibex35 with only three investments

April 29, 2026 by usatoday24

Amancio Ortega is not only the richest man in Spainthanks to having founded the financial empires of Inditex and Pontegadeabut has also turned out to be the largest private shareholder in the Spanish stock market. And, furthermore, it is with an enormous distance compared to the second classified. To put it in context, Ortega’s investment in the Ibex35 far exceeds the State’s participation in this index. According to recent data published by EuropaPress Based on the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), Ortega sweeps into first place, followed by the American giant BlackRock and the Spanish State, which slips into third position. Between the three of them they accumulate stakes that exceed 176,000 million euros in different companies listed on the Ibex 35. Ortega’s portfolio: only three companies, but almost 100,000 million. The key to Amancio Ortega’s dominant position is, of course, in the giant Inditex. The lion millionaire settled in La Coruñachannels its investments through its companies Pontegadea Inversiones and Partler Participaciones, with which controls 59.294% of the capital of the textile group that owns brands such as Zara, Massimo Dutti or Pull&Bear. Ortega’s participation, alone, already represents practically all of the 97,733 million euros that his investments in the selective total. The other two pieces of your stock market portfolio in the Ibex35 are the energy sector holdingswith 5% in both Redeia (owner of Red Eléctrica de España) and Enagás, the managing company of the national gas system. Although the investment weight in energy companies is significantly lower than in Inditex, both fit into Ortega’s investment strategy, which is committed to assets with stable income and regulated that they generate dividends on a recurring basis. BlackRock, the American giant that tries everything. The second investor in the Ibex35 by investment volume is BlackRock, the largest fund manager of the world. As and how to publish The Economistits commitment to the Spanish stock market extends to a total of 20 companies in the Spanish selective, with stakes greater than 1% in each of them, which together reach 41,308 million euros, which is equivalent to 3.7% of the entire capitalization of the Ibex. Its presence is especially relevant in large Spanish banks, with notable stakes in the capital of Banco Sabadell (with 8,199%), BBVA (7,158%), Banco Santander (6,861%), Bankinter (5,910%) and CaixaBank (4,980%). Its assets in Santander alone are already estimated to be worth more than 10,277 million euros. However, like Ortega, BlackRock is committed to diversifying its investments, with a notable presence in the shareholding of energy companies such as Iberdrola (6,254%) and Enagás (7,427%). The State, third shareholder of the Spanish stock market. The public presence in the Ibex35 is channeled through several instruments. The State Society of Industrial Participations (SEPI), Enaire and the Fund for Orderly Bank Restructuring (FROB) are the main investment vehicles that the Spanish Government uses to participate in large companies listed companies, especially those with strategic interest such as energy, communications or banking. In total, the State’s investments in the selective are valued at around 37,147 million euros. Among its most relevant positions, SEPI owns 10% at Telefónica20% in Redeia, 27.99% in Indra and 5% in Enagás, while the FROB controls 16.177% of CaixaBank and Enaire holds 51% of Aena. The latter, the stake in the airport manager, is one of the most valuable in the public portfolio, given the strong Aena stock market performance in recent years. In Xataka | With his profits from Inditex, Amancio Ortega has become something: the biggest real estate magnate on the planet Image | GTRES, Unsplash (Jakub Zerdzicki)

Six reasons why I didn’t buy a Kindle and won’t regret it in 2026

April 29, 2026 by usatoday24

Almost four years ago I made the leap to eReaders (electronic book readers) to, in a way, force myself to read a little. At that time I hadn’t gotten into reading for quite some time and I wanted to buy a reader. But there were many to choose from. Kindle was my first choice because they are the best known, but after a lot of reading, especially analysis, and watching a few videos of use experiences, I opted for the Kobo Clara 2Ethe previous generation of the current Kobo Clara BW (129 euros) and is also available in a version with a color screen called Kobo Clara Color (169 euros). Now, Why did I finally choose this eReader and not a Kindle? These are all the reasons that led me to it, and those that keep me “stuck” to the brand. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links First eReader or casual readers To anyone who makes the jump to an eReader for the first time or who simply reads from time to time, I recommend that Don’t spend too much money on a reader. The experience is different from reading physically and if you haven’t tried an eReader for a few hours it is better to go for a model with a good quality-price ratio than to buy something that you don’t end up liking. Here we can find the basic Kindle (119 euros), but it has certain shortcomings compared to the Kobo Clara 2E or the Kobo Clara BW, such as water resistance. I was looking for a model with which I would have a very good experience so that it would be attractive for me to read, always taking into account the price. The Kobo Clara BW currently sits between the basic Kindle and the Kindle Paperwhite (169 euros), but it costs little more than the first. Unless we are looking for a much cheaper model (maximum about 80 euros), I would bet on Rakuten first. Amazon Kindle (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links How difficult it was to pass books from the computer Amazon has made it a lot simpler over the years, but Before it was not so easy to transfer books from the computer to the reader. I don’t like shopping on my mobile at all and I do everything from my PC, so the “odyssey” that I was at that time set me back a lot. Yes I know that Caliber It has always been there and is one of the best digital book organizers we can have. But I’ve always preferred not having to install anything to do something as basic as transferring a file to a device. Water resistance, audiobooks and more When I bought the eReader I did so with one goal in mind: to read all the published novels of A Song of Ice and Fire, those of ‘Game of Thrones‘ by George R.R. Martin. Although it is true that I did not get to read them all because I have been delving into other literary works, I wanted to do it with a compact device that would allow me to read anywhere. And when I say anywhere, I mean anywhere. By this I mean that I enjoy reading on the train, on the terrace of a cafe and even in the pool. If there is something that has seemed essential to me, it is the water resistance from Rakuten Kobo. We don’t see it on the basic Kindle and over the years it has become an increasingly important feature to me. After all, they are devices that are oriented towards portability because you can carry thousands of books in a single reader. There are also other functions that I find especially interesting, although these can also be found in Amazon eReaders. A good example is that of the audiobook playback. It is not something that I have used personally, but I do find it very practical to continue enjoying literature in certain scenarios, such as when driving. Origami covers It may seem silly, but when buying the Kobo Clara 2E I also did so thinking about the origami case that I also bought that same day (it is also available for the Kobo Clara Color / BW and for him Kobo Libra Color). It is a folding case that allows you to support the reader on a surface to act as a support. And I find it especially interesting for several reasons. The first is that you can fold the case to better grip the reader. But above all, I found this cover practical because for some time now I have been using a treadmill next to a lift-up desk. Sometimes I watch a series on the computer, but other times I delve into reading. And I can do it without having to pick up the eReader; I put it on the table and that’s it. SleepCover for Kobo Clara Color/BW The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Amazon support What makes me not want to get into Kindle? While it is true that some eReaders seem very attractive to me (Paperwhite and Colorsoft Signature Edition mainly), news like that Amazon will stop supporting some of its models…they pull me very far back. It’s not the end of the world, but eReaders are very durable devices. And the fact that the Kindle that you bought in 2011 continues to work as it did on the first day and that you lose access to the Amazon store through the reader… is not something that particularly attracts me. Readers with color screen The Kobo Clara 2E has its limitations when it comes to reading manga, and especially comics and magazines. In any case, the six-inch screen is fine for reading only text because it doesn’t matter if the page is cut, you will have a good experience. But of course, it can’t be cut into manga, comics … Read more

fill their residences with MMA fighters

April 29, 2026 by usatoday24

In 1964, during the Tokyo Olympics, Japan deployed thousands of young volunteers to assist foreign visitors with tasks as basic as finding their way or moving around the city, in a coordinated effort that surprised his discipline and efficiency. Decades later, that idea of mobilizing unexpected profiles to cover social needs reappears, although in a very different context. Unexpected solutions to aging. Japan has been facing for years a demographic pressure increasingly intense, with an aging population that grows at high speed and a care system that fails to meet demand. He told in a report the new york times that the figures indicate that one in six Japanese is now over 75 years oldand the residences are overwhelmed due to the lack of staff, aggravated by immigration restrictions and the low attractiveness of a demanding job traditionally focused on women. In this context, the country has begun to explore very unconventional formulas to sustain its healthcare system, opening the door to profiles that until recently seemed completely alien to this world. Muscle as a response to the crisis. But not financial, but literal. Yes, the solution that is beginning to take shape in some centers breaks with any preconceived idea: incorporating bodybuilders, MMA fighters and exsumos as caregivers. Apparently, The Times explained that specialized companies have seen in these profiles a useful combination of physical strength, discipline and work availability, offering stable jobs for athletes with short careers and few economic outlets. In fact, what began as an experiment is being consolidated as a real strategy to alleviate the lack of labor, while introducing an element of renewal in a sector that had been operating for decades under the same schemes. Everyday life in residences. In practice, these new caregivers perform the same tasks as the rest of the staff, but with an obvious advantage in physically demanding jobs such as moving patients or assisting in their daily hygiene. Thus, in centers such as those in Ichinomiya, Kochi or Tokyo, residents live with muscular figures who help them get up, cook or accompany them in daily activities, generating unusual but increasingly normalized scenes. Furthermore, these workers They combine their shifts with trainingwhich allows them to maintain their sports career while developing a second professional path. Change the perception of a forgotten sector. Beyond functionality, the initiative seeks transform the image of elder care, attracting male profiles who have historically avoided this type of employment. Plus: the presence of athletes introduces dynamism to the residences and breaks stereotypes, showing that healthcare work can also be associated with strength, energy and commitment. In some cases, the residents themselves perceive these caregivers as close, almost family figures, which contributes to improving the emotional environment in the centers. Between hardness and its impact. They remembered in the report that, over time, many of these athletes discover that the real challenge is not physical, that is, but emotional, when facing illness, dependency and the death of patients. This experience transforms their relationship with work and daily life, providing a dimension that goes beyond employment or training. Thus, what began as a pragmatic solution to a labor crisis is becoming a deeper shift in the way we understand care in Japan, one where muscle has gone from being a sporting symbol to a key tool to literally support everyone. an aging generation. Image | PicrylOneFC In Xataka | The Yakuza is no longer the criminal force it once was in Japan. The reason is very simple: aging In Xataka | While half the planet aspires to retire, in Japan the opposite is true: 100-year-olds who only want to work

For generations, we Spaniards embraced the three-course menu. Now that model has entered into crisis

April 29, 2026 by usatoday24

Christianity has its holy trinity. The theater has its classic structure in three acts, just like the traditional novel. Even life itself can be divided into three blocks: youth, adulthood and old age. For a while (centuries, actually) food also participated in this obsession with triads. When you sat down to eat, whether in your own home, that of a family member or in a bar, you expected to be served three courses: something light to start, like a soup or a salad, a heartier second and dessert to finish the job. Now that model has gone into a spin. Goodbye to three dishes? That is the reflection that left bouncing a few days ago The Country in its section on food: after generations and generations settled in homes and hospitality, meals structured in three courses (first, second and dessert) are in decline. He is not the first to point it out. More than a decade ago it already launched a similar warning Adam Liaw, a chef, presenter and author of gastronomic books who in 2015 warned in Guardian about the gradual “disappearance” of three-course menus. Even Dr. Nicolás Romero issued a warning in 2019, in an interview with The Basque Journal: “We should start by recovering a custom that we are abandoning in Spain, that of three dishes on the menu.” He was so convinced of this that he even encouraged transferring the same formula to dinner, “as the Mediterranean diet dictates”, opening the menu with vegetables and closing it with fruit. Is it really in crisis? It is difficult to find studies that confirm this, but, as Liaw signalif we do not look at our surroundings we will realize that the meal in ‘three acts’ seems to have “fallen from favor”. And that is something that can be transferred both to our homes and to restaurants. In fact there are those who now slide that menus with starters, main courses and desserts risk becoming something extraordinary, a luxury reserved for weddings, New Year’s Eve or other special occasions. Just like silverware or old wine. And why this change? The explanation varies a little depending on whether we are talking about what we do at home or what happens in the hospitality industry, although in both cases a common denominator can be seen: a change in consumer habits. In an increasingly busy society we are less willing to spend hours between the stoves, selecting fresh food…or even sitting in front of a plate, which explains the growing success of snacks. Cooked less? It seems so. In 2003, experts were already warning that, in a matter of a few years, we Spaniards had reduced three hours a week the time we spend cooking. Other surveys most recent show that 48% spend about 90 minutes cooking and 41% barely spend more than 60. There are still the majority of those who prepare their own food, but the Spaniards who barely set foot in the kitchen They are counted in millions. With less (or no) time between pots and pans, it is difficult to prepare meals divided into several dishes. Does everyone lose? “Households are spending less and less time cooking, reducing processes and complexity to optimize the time spent cooking. This implies that people are increasingly opting for single-course occasions, which are 71.3% of the time at dinner and 55.7% at lunchtime,” commented recently Eduardo Vieira, from Worldpanel by Numerator (Kantar), who pointed out that this represents an “opportunity” for the industry. Our tendency to spend fewer hours in the kitchen is giving wings to a business that has been growing for years: that of pre-cooked and ready-to-eat foods. The Spanish Association of Prepared Meal Manufacturers (Asefapre) estimates that in 2025 the consumption of precooked meals in the country’s homes grew by 3.8% and that sales exceeded 4.3 billion, with a growth of 5%. What happens in restaurants? There another extra factor comes into play: the economy. Although the menu of the day has been implemented for decades in Spain, where it is quite an ‘institution’, the formula is in crisis. And not only because of cultural changes or the snackficationa trend that leads us to spend less and less time on food. In recent years it has come under cost pressure. The rising cost of raw materials, energy, labor… has forced hoteliers to review their rates, increasing them by 19.5% between 2016 and 2024. The problem is that the sector assures that this increase is lower than the CPI, which makes it difficult for them to make their menus profitable. “It is in danger, fortunately because it is not a sustainable model,” recognize to The Country Paco Cruz, The Food Manager. Given this situation, it is necessary ‘reinvent’ the menucutting costs. As? Exactly: putting the scissors in and leaving it on a single plate. Do more factors influence? Yes. As if the above were not enough, the hoteliers have to deal with a new rival: the merchantssupermarkets that, like Mercadona, have a wide range of ready-to-eat dishes and spaces in which to consume them. Customers can often choose dishes and devour them in just a few minutes, putting pressure on traditional menus where a waiter serves starters, mains and dessert. Images Michael Clarke Stuff (Flickr), Diogo Brandao (Unsplash)F.arhad Ibrahimzade (Unsplash) In Xataka More and more Spanish bars refuse to let you pay at the table. Its objective is very simple: greater rotation

It’s about whether a company can change its mission

April 29, 2026 by usatoday24

Elon Musk and Sam Altman They have stood before a court in Oakland to settle the future of OpenAIwith a lawsuit claiming more than $130 billion and calling for the removal of Sam Altman as CEO. The hearing started this Tuesday with opening statements that have revealed the real dimension of the case: it is not just a fight between two billionaires, but a very basic question that still does not have a clear answer. Why is it important. The underlying question is not whether Musk, as it is colloquially said, ‘was messed up’. It is whether an organization founded as an NGO can pivot towards profit after having attracted donations, talent and credibility under another model. If the answer is ‘no’ (or if it can at least be judicially challenged), there are a few technology companies in a similar situation: Mozilla, Anthropic or Wikipedia / Wikimedia Foundation live in similar realities. The precedent that this trial sets may be a blow to other groups. The context: OpenAI was born in 2015 with a mission: to develop AI for the benefit of humanity, as a wise man said“non-profit”. Musk contributed about $38 million in his first years. In 2019, the company launched a for-profit subsidiary to raise capital at scale. In 2023, it signed a 10 billion agreement with Microsoft that, according to the accusation, was the point of no return: from then on, OpenAI no longer operated for humanity but for its shareholders. Today, the lucrative subsidiary is valued at $852 billion and could go public before the end of 2026, although There are some cracks in that plan.. Between the lines. Musk’s legal thesis depends on proving that there was fraud at the time of the donation, not simply that he doesn’t like where the company has gone. According to Sam Brunson, professor of nonprofit law at Loyola University in Chicago, cited by Fortunethe general principle of law is that whoever donates to an organization has given that money and has no recourse if they later do not like its decisions. The only way out is to prove that there was fraud, that they lied to you at the time of donating. And that proof is very difficult to obtain. What comes closest to that proof are the private notes of Greg Brockman, co-founder of OpenAI. In September 2017, Brockman wrote that this was “the only opportunity to get out from under Elon” and that accepting his conditions would destroy his decision-making capacity and his economic side. After a meeting in November of that year in which Musk was assured that OpenAI would remain an NGO, Brockman noted that if they converted the company to a for-profit entity three months later, “it would have been a lie.” The judge who sent the case to trial cited these notes directly in his January ruling. Yes, but. The fact that there are compromising notes does not mean that Musk’s legal theory is solid. The original NGO still exists. Its technology was licensed to the for-profit subsidiary, but the nonprofit foundation maintains nominal control of the company and retains the economic appreciation of that subsidiary. NGOs can generate profits, they simply cannot distribute them among shareholders. If OpenAI did not make an explicit and documented promise to never create a for-profit subsidiary, the fraud argument has very little meaning. Most of the experts consulted by the Anglo-Saxon press these days believe that Musk has little chance of winning in the responsibility phase. Marking agenda. On Sunday, less than 48 hours before the trial began, OpenAI published its new framework of five principles for AGI: democratization, empowerment, universal prosperity, resilience and adaptability. The 2018 document mentioned AGI twelve times. The new one, only two. He timing It is no coincidence: Altman publishes a manifesto that portrays him as the guardian responsible for the development of AI just when a court is going to judge whether he betrayed the company’s original mission or not. The big question. The trial will last, in principle, about three weeks. But the question it raises goes beyond the verdict: can a company that started as a non-profit organization (attracting donations, talent and legitimacy under that banner) freely pivot towards profit without anyone having the right to complain? If the answer ends up being ‘yes’, without much nuance, there will be something wrong. Not because Musk is right about everything, but because the underlying argument makes sense: if you benefit from tax favors and an altruistic reputation to boot, then you can’t pivot just like that without distorting competition. The question does not have an easy answer. That a jury in Oakland is answering it says a lot about how much the law lacks to keep up with the speed with which the technology industry moves. In Xataka | OpenAI is already worth $852 billion: never has a company been so valuable while burning so much money Featured image | Xataka

Someone has calculated which countries in the world have increased their military spending the most and there is a surprise: Spain is in the lead

April 29, 2026 by usatoday24

With the beating of war drums in the background, the invasion of Ukraine encystedthe tension climbing in the Middle East and Donald Trump feinting with removing the US from NATO at the same time required more investment military to its partners, in 2025 the world has chosen a clear path: spend more money on defense. Quite a bit more. SIPRI calculations show that global military spending increased by 2.9% last year to almost 2.9 trillion dollars. This increase is largely explained by the effort made in Asia, Russia and Europe, where an unexpected protagonist stands out: Spain. Despite the differences With the leadership of NATO and the loud friction with Trump, the reality is that Spain is one of the countries that has increased its investment most clearly and is already in the “Top 15” in volume of war spending. What has happened? Which the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has just published a study on military spending in 2025. It is a valuable tool because it helps us understand two things: how much the planet is investing in strengthening its war capacity and, more importantly, how that flow of money is distributed geographically. Reading it is particularly interesting in Spain for another reason: it shows that, despite the friction that Madrid has had with the White House and the address of NATO on account of military spending, Spain has made a notable investment effort. In fact, on the SIPRI list it stands out as one of the countries that has increased its defense spending the most, surpassing other European partners. Click on the image to go to the tweet. How much does Spain invest? If we base ourselves on the SIPRI data, 34,256 million of euros. The figure is important because of its scope, but above all because of the trend it shows: it shows that last year military spending increased by 50% in Spain. If we look back even further, to 2016, the increase is 122%. It is also the first time Since the mid-90s, the allocation for weapons exceeds 2% of GDP. If these data were not sufficient in themselves, they stand out even more when compared with the rest of the countries analyzed. Although the US, China and Russia lead the investment effort in terms of spending volume, when we look at the increase in spending there is only one nation that exceeds 50% of Spain. Which? Belgium, with an increase of 59%, although its level of spending is much lower than that of Spain (14.5 billion dollars). In fact, the increase in investment has allowed our country to position itself in the global “TOP 15”, behind Poland or South Korea and ahead of Canada. How is it possible? That jump is largely due to Industrial and Technological Plan for Security and Defense approved a year ago and that, according to the ministrycontemplated an initial investment of 10,471 million already in 2025. However, the SIPRI tables reflect that Spain continues to dedicate much fewer resources to defense than other EU (and NATO) partners, such as Germany, France, Italy or Poland, which in the last decade has skyrocketed its spending. Why is it important? For what we mentioned before: 2025 will be remembered for many debates, but there was one in particular that grabbed headlines for months and made Spain stand out worldwide. Despite Trump’s pressure for NATO partners to increase their defense spending from 2% to 5% of GDP, Madrid claimed that it could meet its commitments with an investment of ‘only’ 2.1%. His position was not liked in the White House, but it ended up leading to a pact with those responsible for the Atlantic Alliance. How much does the rest spend? That is another of the readings that leaves the study of SIPRI. In general, its technicians estimate that military spending increased by 2.9% worldwide in 2025, to around $2.9 million. It is the eleventh consecutive year in which the amount of resources that the planet allocates to the war machine has increased and explains that today the “global military burden” (its weight with respect to GDP) reaches 2.5%, marking its highest level since 2009. Are there differences? Yes. That increase was not distributed equally throughout the world. While in the US military spending suffered an annual contraction of 7.5%, in Europe military spending grew by 14% to reach 864,000 million of dollars. The same trend continued in Russia (+5.9%) and Ukraine (+20%), immersed in a war since 2022, or China (+7.4%) and Japan (+9.7%). That the US distances itself from this trend is something purely circumstantial. If its war expenditure decreased in 2025, it was due to the change in policy regarding the military support offered by Ukraine. In fact, SIPRI recalls that the US Congress has already given the green light to a considerable increase in military spending for this year and it is not unreasonable that something similar could happen in 2027. Image | Ministry of Defense In Xataka | Nobody saw it coming: Ukraine’s scariest drone doesn’t move, just waits for a Russian soldier to appear

the 170 million plan to revive Lemóniz

April 29, 2026 by usatoday24

Seagulls and wild vegetation have been the only tenants of the immense iron and concrete skeleton built in the Biscayan cove of Basordas for decades. As detailed in a report the BBCit is a gloomy image composed of eight million cubic meters of cement and a thousand tons of iron; a giant that cannot be demolished that, more than forty years after its abandonment, finally has a destiny. But the monster designed for atomic fission will not produce megawatts, but fish. The historical turn. The Basque Government and the Atitlan business group will transform the old nuclear power plant in a macro fish farm. The Lehendakari himself, Imanol Pradales, presented the project, defining the ruins as “an uncomfortable and very complex inheritance” and “the scar of dark times”, as collected RTVE. Now, this industrial ghost is called to give birth, in the words of the Basque president, the first soles made in Euskadi. The magnitude of the project. The project has been named ‘Aquacría Basordas’. As detailed Deiawill require a public-private investment of 170 million euros over the next decade. The future aquaculture park will occupy an area of 46,600 square meters, will generate around 200 highly qualified direct jobs and, at full capacity, will reach a production capacity of 3,000 tons of fish per year. Forecasts indicate that the main works will start in 2027 and that the first soles will reach the market around 2030 or 2031. But why choose such an atypical environment? Already existing infrastructure and direct access to deep sea water have been key to identifying the failed plant as an “optimal” location for industrial aquaculture. However, Pradales warned that this will be “much more than a simple fish farm,” just as pointed out The Mail. The facility will have the scientific muscle of the Azti technology center, integrating artificial intelligence and advanced water recirculation systems (RAS) that will allow up to 97% of water resources to be reused. The business octopus. To understand the real dimension of the project, you have to look at both the offices of today and the trenches of yesterday. The one who will put the fish in Lemóniz is Sea Eight, the aquaculture subsidiary of the Valencian investment group Atitlan. How to uncover The Jumpthe president of Atitlan is Roberto Centeno, son-in-law of the owner of Mercadona, Juan Roig. In fact, Sea Eight is already a prominent supplier of sole for the supermarket chain. The advance of this business giant has been made, according to media reports such as The Economistignoring the local councils of Mungialdea and Uribe Kosta, which demanded a participatory process to decide the future of this very symbolic enclave. The million dollar question: isn’t it dangerous? The first reaction when combining the concepts “nuclear” and “power” is usually one of alarm, but we must be clear: there is no risk of radiation. As remembers the BBCLemóniz never received uranium or came into operation. However, the environmental controversy is served by other fronts. The NGO Greenpeace has demanded immediate withdrawal of the project. They argue that industrial aquaculture aggravates the pressure on the Cantabrian coast due to pollution by organic matter, use of antibiotics and eutrophication of the sea. In addition, they point out a biological paradox: the sole is a carnivorous species, which requires fishing for other wild fish to make its feed, pushing the oceans “towards collapse.” On the other hand, The Jump raises a worrying warning from FACUA Euskadi, which warned that the waters in the area have heavy metals “above the recommended thresholds”, coming from the sediment of the Urbieta reservoir and an old nearby landfill. Added to this is another complaint of Greenpeace: When the Basque Government assumed ownership of the land in 2018, it exempted Iberdrola (formerly Iberduero) from its legal obligation to return the cove to its original state, “saving” the electricity company about 17 million euros. The neighbors also have something to say. The concrete skeleton remains a thorny issue. As pointed out by BBC Through the testimony of locals like Valentín Elórtegui, the plant is “a taboo, something that no one wants to look at.” At street level, the scars of the families that were expropriated coexist with the irreverence of the young surfers who today catch waves in front of the atomic ghost at a point they call, precisely, “La Central.” And the weight of that taboo is measured in blood. Lemóniz’s abandonment was not an accident, but the result of an unprecedented social shock. As he relates RTVEthe works begun in the midst of Franco’s regime (1972) collided with incipient environmentalism and massive protests. ETA took advantage of the conflict and unleashed a campaign of terror, murdering five workers, including chief engineers José María Ryan and Ángel Pascual. The brutal tension in the streets—which also claimed the life of activist Gladys del Estal at the hands of the Civil Guard—forced the workers to flee, paralyzing the works until the government of Felipe González issued the definitive nuclear moratorium in 1984. The true mutation of Basordas. Pop culture has taught us to view the waters near atomic plants with suspicion. It is inevitable to remember Winksthe iconic three-eyed orange fish that Mr. Burns couldn’t eat in The Simpsons and that he tried to sell to the citizens of Springfield as an evolutionary miracle of his nuclear plant. However, in the rough waters of the Cantabrian Sea there will be no radiation or three-eyed fish; The Lemóniz sole will have the usual two. The true mutation in Basordas Creek is not genetic, but macroeconomic and historical. It is the transformation of a failed atomic megaproject promoted by a dictatorship, paralyzed by the blood of terrorism and environmental fury, which now ends up being resurrected as a lucrative and aseptic link in the immense supply chain of the supermarkets of our century. Image | Dummy Xataka | The most fascinating map you will see today: the entire electrical infrastructure of the planet, in an interactive infographic

The key was not in the stars, but in his birth

April 29, 2026 by usatoday24

If there is something more difficult than putting doors in the field, it is possibly finding the edge of our galaxy. Or any other, really. They are not perfectly well-defined spacesbut rather a kind of cloud with fuzzy edges. Even so, science has been trying to find the limits of our own galaxy for many years: the milky way. Until now it had been impossible, but an international team of scientists, led by the University of Malta, has discovered that we were defining the borders in the wrong way. Almost 40,000 light years. According to this new researchthe closest thing to an edge of the galaxy would be the place where stars stop forming. This, based on their calculations, is located approximately at a point between 36,800 and 39,600 light years from the center. That would be the radius. There are stars further away. Until now, the error was in considering that the edges of the Milky Way are those that house the most distant stars. This concept of edge is constantly being redefined. The better the tools for detecting stars, the farther away they are. However, these scientists observed that there are stars that move after their formation. Especially when a supernova explosion occurs nearby. Therefore, they could not help us define something like a border. In fact, there are stars up to 10,000 light years away. further of what these researchers have defined as a possible limit. In this case, the radius is measured in kiloparsecs, which are equivalent to 3,262 light years each. This is how stars are born in a galaxy. The first stars are born in the centers of galaxies, where there is a greater density of gas and dust. Then, as gravity allows small pockets of condensed gas to form, they can form further and further away as well. Therefore, the oldest stars are those in the center and the most distant ones are the newest. That’s not counting those that disperse and move to other points in the galaxy. Precisely the ones that had made it so difficult to find those supposed galactic borders. In search of stable orbits. The authors of the recently published study focused on analyzing stable orbits. Those whose stars have barely migrated beyond their point of origin. Thus, they have found the limit of stellar birth. Telescopes can look further. The materials are there, but something is missing. Beyond these borders there is still gas and dust. However, it has not condensed enough to guarantee star birth. Possibly, it is due to the absence of sufficiently intense gravitational processes. In any case, despite having found something resembling a diffuse edge for the first time, it is important to insist that doors cannot be placed on the Milky Way, like the field. And much less borders. Image | Freepik | University of Malta In Xataka | James Webb has found a galaxy from when the universe was 330 million years old. Hides a whole enigma

The current that warms Europe will weaken by 51% before the end of the century. And Spain, according to experts, is already beginning to notice

April 29, 2026 by usatoday24

“The 5% chance just became 50%.” This quote from Stefan Rahmstorf, the world’s leading expert on the collapse of the AMOC, describes the change it introduces the study just published by the University of BordeauxIt’s this April 15th. But the story goes beyond the number: it is the latest installment of the great climate debate of the decade. A debate that, whoever wins, we are all losing. What exactly is AMOC and why do we care? The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is the North Atlantic branch of the thermohaline circulation. Since the sun does not heat the sea equally everywhere and freshwater flows reach the ocean at very specific points, this is the basic mechanism by which the oceans balance differences in temperature and salinity. The AMOC is a good example of this regulation. After all, as explained from AEMETit is an “Atlantic basin-scale north-south ocean flow that begins with cold sea water sinking to the bottom off Greenland, subsequently flowing south, and being replaced by warmer water flowing at the surface from the south, transferring heat from the tropics to the east coast of North America and the west coast of Europe.” Therefore, it is a key mechanism and if it stops, as studies began to say a decade ago, the problems for Europe would be enormous. Huge? “Without it, Western Europe and eastern North America would cool significantly, with a host of potential adverse effects,” said Sánchez Laulhé. We talk about a “widespread cooling throughout the North Atlantic and northern hemisphere in general” that would collapse the temperature in Europe would drop several degrees and cause a “strengthening of winter storms, with more and more powerful explosive cyclogenesis” and a “greater proportion of precipitation falling in the form of snow throughout Europe.” However, scientists do not fully agree. In 2021, the IPCC said the AMOC was “unlikely” to collapse. In 2023, the Ditlevsens not only said that it was a probable scenario, but that they set the first date for the collapse. In 2024, 44 signatories They asked to take the problem seriously. But in January 2025 Terhaar, Vogt and Foukal said which, in short, had not weakened since 1063. Now, the University of Bordeaux states that the AMOC will weaken by around 51% by the end of the century with a confidence level of 90%, under the intermediate emissions scenario. What can already be seen. French researchers they are right in which the most recognizable observational signal of the weakening of the AMOC is the “cold spot” of the subpolar Atlantic south of Greenland. In the midst of climate change, “the only point on the planet that has cooled in the last century.” However, we are also not clear what that really means. And there is the key. So will Europe freeze? Probably, but that’s not what’s interesting. Throughout the history of the Atlantic it has been passed many times. The question is whether it will be soon, if it will be our fault, if we can avoid it and what consequences it will have. Be that as it may, Spain will not be the most affected, but it will be. It is being. Stefan Rahmstorf, for example, said last year at the Autonomous University of Madrid that “the slowdown of the AMOC is already having impacts in Spain.” You just have to know how to read the signs. Image | Xataka In Xataka | We have been fearing the fading of the AMOC current for years. We have good news

A “floating gas station” in the middle of the ocean is making a fool of the US

April 29, 2026 by usatoday24

In the satellite images of certain points in Southeast Asia there are days in which dozens of oil tankers appear completely stopped in the open sea, forming a kind of improvised parking lot in the middle of one of the busiest shipping routes of the world. Some stay there for hours, others for days, with no apparent direction, as if waiting for something that never comes… or that happens when no one is watching. An invisible map in the middle of the ocean. I told the story this week CNN through data by MarineTraffic reviewed by the media. For years, the Iranian oil trade has followed a logic that barely left a trace in official records, with ships disappearing and reappearing in tracking systems and shipments whose origin changes depending on the document consulted. This dynamic, it seems, has allowed us to sustain a constant flow towards China even under sanctions, relying on a network of intermediaries, opaque routes and an aging fleet that operates on the margins of the international system, similar to the “Russian model”. It happens that what seemed like a succession of dispersed maneuvers begins to draw a much more defined pattern: a floating infrastructure that works away from the spotlight. The “floating gas station”. They explained in the exclusive that, in waters near Malaysia, in the area known as Eastern Outer Port Limitsa key point has been consolidated where dozens or even hundreds of ships remain waiting, exchanging oil in ship-to-ship operations that completely transform crude oil traceability. This enclave acts as a authentic service station intermediate where Iranian oil changes hands, identity and destination before continuing its journey towards Asia, becoming a central gear which allows Tehran to maintain stable exports despite international pressure. Its location, close to critical maritime routes and outside effective control, makes it the ideal place for this type of operations. SAR satellite images show vessels within the outer boundary of the Eastern Harbor off the coast of Malaysia on April 18, 2026 How the shortcut to China works. The system follows a precise and repeated logic: one where large oil tankers load crude oil at Iranian facilities, cross the Indian Ocean and reach this area. where they transfer their cargo to other ships, which in turn transport it to Chinese refineries. In this process, oil change label and appears as originating from countries such as Malaysia or Indonesia, hiding its real origin in official data. This mechanism allows China to continue receiving large volumes of crude oil at reduced prices, while Iran ensures constant income that sustains its economy in a context of sanctions. MarineTraffic data shows the multiple trips the MT Tifani made between the Persian Gulf and the EOPL from April 2025 until its capture by US forces in April 2026 “Ghost” fleet that does not stop. Behind the system are hundreds of vessels that change flag, name and owner frequently, making them difficult to track and reducing their exposure to sanctions. Many operate without identification active for long periods, activating and deactivating its location systems as appropriate, which further complicates any control attempt. The magnitude of the activity is growingwith hundreds of annual transfers that, in practice, turn this maritime space into one of the most active (and least transparent) points of global energy trade. The fight with Washington reaches another board. In the background, a story that remembered the wall street journal the weekend. Recent oil tanker seizures like MT Tifani They reflect a change in strategy on the part of the United States, which has decided to extend its pressure beyond the Middle East and act directly on these distant routes. These interventions they seek to interrupt a system that has operated for years with relative impunity, although they also show the difficulty of stopping such a distributed and adaptable network. Each intercepted ship is a signal, although the total volume of traffic suggests that the mechanism remains fully operational. Floating reserves and economic war. Beyond the immediate exchangethis network also works as a strategic reserve on the high seas, one with millions of barrels stored on oil tankers waiting to be delivered when conditions permit. There is no doubt, this capability offers Iran a mattress facing blockages or interruptions, bringing oil closer to their final buyers and reducing its dependence on vulnerable routes like right now in the Strait of Hormuz. In short, the system represents much more than an evasion of sanctions, approaching an entire logistics architecture designed to keep open a critical avenue of income in the midst of conflict. Image | Department of Defense, MarineTraffic, Sentinel 1/European Space Agency In Xataka | Ukraine taught how to use drones. Iran has gone one step further: turning them into a crusher for US radars and bases In Xataka | If the war resumes again, the US runs a risk unprecedented in the history of war: that the only one with missiles will be Iran.

Log In

Sign In

Forgot password?

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections