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“A green area without sufficient trees loses much of its ability to act”

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Extreme heat waves are an increasingly intense and long-lasting structural challenge and, faced with some cities turned into asphalt traps With a distinct lack of trees, the “urban climate shelter” concept has gained traction as emergency infrastructure. However, not just any green space acts as a heat shield, since recent research led by the University of Granada evidence that the design, morphology and, above all, the type of trees are critical factors, since a green area without dense coverage loses almost all of its effectiveness in reducing temperature. Size is not everything. The first results of the ACTERCA project, led by researcher David Hidalgo from the UGR, show the thermal behavior of green areas in the eight Andalusian capitals. To carry it out, they used a combination of satellites, climate modeling, artificial intelligence and thermal cameras, and the research concludes that the cooling capacity depends critically on large trees with dense canopies. These specific trees are the ones that really manage to reduce the environmental temperature between 3 and 5 ºC compared to areas dominated by impermeable pavements or the classic albero. That is why the key is not to create “green-looking” climate shelters, but to specifically design them to offer good shade and evapotranspiration with the most suitable trees. It is explained as follows by the UGR: These processes reduce the ambient temperature and significantly improve the thermal comfort of those who use these spaces. On the contrary, green areas with little tree cover lose much of their capacity to buffer heat, which shows that increasing the green area, by itself, does not guarantee effective protection against heat waves. It’s personalized. The study also highlights that urban design does not admit universal recipes, since in cities like Seville and Malaga, the main problem lies in the albedo and in Córdoba, the threat is building density and soil waterproofing. But if we go to Granada, the geometry of the historic neighborhoods, with narrow streets, offers greater thermal resilience than that of the new urban developments. Beyond temperature. Although lowering the thermometer is the most visible objective, science warns that the concept of “urban climate refuge” is still in its infancy and its definition lacks consensus. According to a systematic reviewcurrent urban planning is focusing almost exclusively on thermal comfort, leaving the potential of these spaces to promote urban biodiversity or long-term climate mitigation unexplored. In fact, it is pointed out that climate shelters must be conceived as multi-scalar solutions, since an isolated square is not enough, but an interconnected network is necessary. Along these lines, science proposes specific methodologies (tested in Seville and Malaga) to design shelter networks that classify spaces according to their use: places of temporary relief, areas for daily activity or areas of critical assistance during disasters. The real challenge. The biggest obstacle facing climate refuges is not thermodynamic, but social. And I know that an excellently air-conditioned park is of no use if those who suffer the most from the heat cannot access it or do not feel integrated. For example, an analysis at the IERMB on the Barcelona shelter network showed that there are deep intersectional vulnerabilitiessince factors such as economic income, gender and cultural origin determine who actually uses these spaces. This geographical and income inequality is also denounced by Greenpeace Spain, whose reporte warns of a serious lack of protection against heat waves in the most vulnerable sectors of the population, addressing access to thermal comfort as a fundamental right. We are behind. We know what works and how to implement it, but management is still one step behind. A review at European level which analyzed 97 initiatives in 88 cities revealed a notable institutional disconnection, since national climate adaptation strategies are rarely vertically integrated with local practices. Plans written on paper take too long to become trees planted on the asphalt. And the message we have on the table is that, to combat the extreme heat of the coming decades, cities do not simply need more square meters painted green on a map, but rather densely treed, intelligently distributed and, above all, socially fair urban ecosystems. Images | Andy Lee In Xataka | Climate change has a lethal side effect that we are only just discovering: it locks us in the house and prevents us from moving

In 2016 Colombia signed a historic peace agreement. Then the area dedicated to cocaine cultivation skyrocketed

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In Colombia the 11-24-2016 It is one of those dates that sneak into history books and that schoolchildren study for generations. Or at least that’s what was expected a decade agowhen (after years of negotiations and a complicated procedure with steps forward and back) the Government and the FARC signed a Peace Agreement which was intended to mark a turning point in the country’s history of drug trafficking and violence. The reality today is that the Colombian coca map may be different from that of 2016, but it has not retreated. Quite the opposite. Taking stock. The second round of the Colombian teams will coincide almost with the tenth anniversary of the agreement signed in 2016 by the FARC-EP and the Government, then headed by Juan Manuel Santos. With that backdrop, this week the British newspaper Financial Times public an extensive analysis in which he examines how the cocaine business, drug trafficking and violence in the country have changed over the last decade. And the result is not exactly good. If it had to be summarized, it could be done like this: more hectares of cultivation, greater yield, more business and less ideology. Change of actors. One of the key ideas that leave bouncing FT is that, far from ending drug trafficking and coca cultivation, the 2016 agreement has only served to change its protagonists. The place that the far-left insurgent organization once occupied FARC It is now distributed to armed groups more motivated by the search for profit. From discourse based on politics we move on to business. Not only that. The logistics chain has become fragmented and specialized, although in the new map they would stand out above all three great actors. One is the National Liberation Army (ELN), left-wing guerrilla organization that expands its influence to Venezuela. Another group is made up of former members of the FARC who are dissatisfied with the 2016 pact and who now act as dissidents. The third protagonist is Gaitanista Armyalso known by its acronym (EGC) or as Clan del Golfo, formed by right-wing paramilitaries. For the director of the Ideas for Peace Foundation (FIP), María Victoria Llorente, the latter is “the largest criminal organization in Colombia.” What exactly happened? That the State has not achieved occupy the place left by the FARC, which has translated into a huge opportunity for other organizations interested in drug trafficking. Toby Muse, reporter and author of ‘Kilo’, summed it up not long ago in an interview with ABC: “The FARC had control of many of the places where coca was planted. When they lowered their weapons they clearly told the Government: ‘Now this territory is yours. A minimum of law must be introduced and the peasants must be protected. That is the peace process. This territory is now yours’. The Government was unable to take control. Other groups did so and it generated a new cycle of violence.” Click on the image to go to the tweet. The figure: 253,000 hectares. Geoff Dyer and Joe Daniels, the reporters who sign the report of FT, have not limited themselves to collecting testimonies from experts and locals. In their chronicle they also slip some figures that help understand how the coca map in Colombia has changed since 2016. Of all, perhaps the most resounding are the UN estimates on the cultivated area: between 2018 and 2023 there would be increased by around 50% until reaching 253,000 hectares. This growth has also been accompanied by another just as solid in the production of pure cocaine hydrochloride. A questionable balance. Just a few days ago, President Gustavo Petro assured that the Executive expects that the area with coca crops this year will be around 253,358 hectares, which, he insisted, represents a reduction compared to 2025. In any case, it is still higher than what was expected. the UN calculated in 2022 and questions the success of the policies promoted a decade ago by the Executive to encourage farmers to abandon coca plantations. In 2017, for example, the Transnational Institute (TNI) informed of how a “crop substitution plan” to, through economic incentives, eliminate 50,000 hectares of coca in just one year. Only part of the ‘photo’. It is not just that the cultivated area has increased. In its 2024 report, the UN also points out a noticeable increase in the yield of cultivated hectares, a phenomenon that coincides with the decision of the Government of dispense with of aerial fumigation with glyphosate as a tool to eradicate coca plantations. The decision was made a decade ago due to its impact on the environment and the health of the population, but the Petro Government has had no choice but to reverse and recover fumigations with the help of drones. More sophisticated. In general the analysis of Financial Times points out that new generations have ‘professionalized’ coca production in Colombia, betting on new varieties of crops, more efficient agricultural practices and more sophisticated processing. Even the laboratories have been improved. The British media reports that, taking advantage of their control of the territory, some groups have even gotten into other businesses, such as illegal gold mining. Beyond Colombia. That coca production increases by Colombian forests It has effects beyond the country or even South America. In your ‘World Drug Report 2025’the United Nations recalled that in 2023 the production, seizures and consumption of white powder had reached “new highs”, confirming itself as “the fastest growing illicit drug.” According to their calculations, production shot up almost 34% between 2022 and 2023 and consumption went from 17 million users in 2013 to nearly 25 million in 2023. hunted caches before reaching its destination, but so does production, something that has even been felt in the quote of the bales. The reflection in Europe. In the global chain they are on one side the big producers (Colombia, Peru and Bolivia) and on the other the main consumer markets. In the latter, important changes can also be seen, something that it is clear in … Read more

Until now Cantabria was only a transit area for flamingos. They have been refusing to fly south for three years

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When we talk about climate changewe automatically think of melting glaciers or crops altering, but we must also take into account that biodiversity maps are being redesigned in real time. This is what we are seeing in the north of Spain, where southern flamencos have begun to consider Cantabria as your new residence of winter. What the census says. In order to see how the habits of flamingos are changing, we have to turn to the census of wintering waterfowl in Cantabria, which indicates that right now there is a stable population of about 25 southern flamingos who have been settled in the region for three consecutive winters without emigrating. These specimens arriving from the Mediterranean Sea have decided that the climate and conditions of the Cantabrian Sea are sufficient to avoid having to continue their journey to the warmer southern latitudes. And the culprit of this is climate change. The problem of winter. The theory tells us that this type of animal species usually always go to places with optimal temperatures, causing them to be in the north in summer and in the south in winter. But this has changed radically, and these migratory birds are slowly becoming one of the best thermometers of global warming. The explanation here lies in the fact that winters on the Cantabrian coast are increasingly milder, causing this thermal increase to eliminate the barrier of extreme cold that traditionally forced these species, such as the flamingo, to flee to the south of the peninsula or North Africa. Adaptation of the species. By not facing severe frosts that freeze water and limit access to their food, flamingos find the energy expenditure of a long migratory journey unnecessary. They simply “stick” here to an area that is now hospitable. A perfect refuge. For a species to decide to stay, it is not enough for it to be less cold, but food and shelter are also needed. Here Cantabria has one of the richest and most important estuarine complexes in northern Spain. The flamingos in this case have concentrated their colony in two key points of the Cantabrian geography: the bay of Santander and the estuarine complex of the Marinas of Santoña, Victoria and Joyel. Here the high wetland quality It guarantees an ecosystem rich in the small crustaceans and microorganisms that these birds feed on. Images | Jannes Jacobs In Xataka | These birds travel more than 3,000 kilometers every year to reach Spain. The curious thing is that some arrive without fingers

The model challenges benchmarks in a key area

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When we think of Xiaomi, it is normal that its mobile phones come to mind or, at most, its foray into electric cars with models like the SU7. However, what we have seen now points to a much more ambitious move: the company also wants to compete in the artificial intelligence race. It has done so with the launch of MiMo-V2-Proa model that, according to the data shared by the company itself, seeks to position itself close to the most advanced systems on the market, but with a very different focus on costs. And that changes the conversation quite a bit. What Xiaomi proposes. The company presents its model as the “brain” of systems capable of executing complete tasks, not just responding to specific requests, which in the sector is known as agent-oriented models. According to official information, we are looking at an architecture that exceeds one trillion total parameters, although it only activates 42 billion in each execution, and that can work with contexts of up to one million tokens. On paper, this allows you to maintain long, complex processes without fragmenting them, something designed for large tasks and more demanding workflows. Performance against the greats. If we look at the data, Xiaomi does not present its model as the best on the market, but as one that can compete in certain scenarios. In the GDPval-AA benchmark, oriented to real agent-type tasks, it reaches an Elo of 1426, surpassing Chinese models such as GLM-5 (1412) and Kimi K2.5 (1309), although it falls short of proposals such as Claude Sonnet 4.6, which marks 1633. The external reading is provided by Artificial Analysis, which assigns it a score of 49 on its intelligence index, which places it in the group of most competitive models on the market. The key is in that closeness in some benchmarks, not in general leadership. The key to the price. This is where Xiaomi’s proposal changes the board. According to data collected by Artificial Analysis, running your IQ with this model costs approximately $348, compared to $2,304 for GPT-5.2 or the 2,486 of Claude Opus 4.6. It is not exactly the same comparison as the price per API use, but on both levels Xiaomi appears clearly below several Western rivals. In its own API, the company sets prices of $1 per million tokens for entry and $3 for exit in the range up to 256K, a lower rate than models such as Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Claude Opus 4.6 at the same level of use. Beyond chat. What Xiaomi is proposing with this model is not only to improve the quality of the responses, but to change the type of work it can do. The company insists on moving from conversation to action, with a system capable of using tools, interacting with environments and completing chained tasks. In this context, it presents it as a model optimized for agentic scenarios and links it to frameworks such as OpenClawin addition to mentioning collaborations with OpenCode, KiloCode, Blackbox and Cline. On paper, this reinforces the idea of ​​an AI designed to execute workflows and not just answer questions. behind the scenes. Xiaomi enters the race with a model that, according to available data, is close to the major benchmarks in some scenarios, although without generally surpassing them. Where there does seem to be a clear bet is on the price, and that is where it tries to differentiate itself. The question is whether this balance between cost and performance is maintained outside of benchmarks and in real environments. We will have to wait to know if what the data shows is also projected in the real world. Images | Xiaomi In Xataka | China has immediately understood the future of the technology industry: “one-person companies” powered by AI

Finding the cheapest gas station in your area is very simple thanks to this very powerful tool

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We have been very attentive to fuel prices for a few days. It is no wonder, since since the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has exploded to the point of leaving the Strait of Hormuz in a compromised situation, oil has ended up skyrocketing and gas stations have already begun to notice the impact on their shelters. While the Government study what measures you can applyMany drivers go to those gas stations that have the cheapest fuel. And for this there are tools that the State itself offers. The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge made it available to any citizen quite some time ago, the Geoportal from Gas Stations, a free tool that allows you to know the price of fuel at all service stations in the country, so you can filter by the cheapest one in your area. It also has another very useful function: knowing how much has the price changed at every gas station. We tell you all the details below. What is the Geoportal and why is it worth it? The Gas Station Geoportal is a web application of the Ministry that collects the prices of all service stations in Spainupdated every five minutes. What you see on the screen is practically the real price of the moment. The tool has been available for years, but in situations like the current one, or like the one that happened with the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, its use makes special sense. Currently there are gas stations in large cities and in the main corridors that They already exceed 1.70 euros/liter in gasoline or 1.80 in diesel, while others remain below average. With a 50 liter tank, choose carefully where to refuel can mean quite significant savings. How to find the cheapest gas station from the GeoPortal To enter the Geoportal, all you have to do is enter this link. There is also a free mobile application for Android and iOS. It is called Route-E, and it is developed by the Ministry itself. In addition to gas station prices, it includes information on charging points for electric vehicles. When you enter the website you will see a map of Spain with marked service stations. On the left are the filters. The process is simple: Select “Service Stations” as search type. Choose your province and town. The map will automatically center on that area. You can refine it even further with the zip code if you live in a large city. Choose the type of fuel. You will find everything from the usual ones (gasoline 95 E5, gasoline 98, diesel A) to alternative options such as natural gas, bioethanol or hydrogen. As soon as you select one, the map will show the price of each station along with its schedule and operator. Mark “Sale to the public”. This excludes gas stations belonging to agricultural cooperatives or closed groups that are not open to any driver. Check the list ordered by price. When you have clicked ‘Search’, just below the map the tool generates a list of stations. Filter by price and the cheapest ones in the area should appear first, and you can export the list in CSV or Excel format if you need it. As extra information: yes you hover over any station on the map, you will directly see its price, schedule, rating and operator without having to click. There is an additional filter: “Discount plans”. If you activate it, the search engine shows gas stations with current promotions, either because they belong to a specific chain or because they offer discounts to groups such as transporters, farmers or taxi drivers. Mobile Apps If you prefer not to use the Ministry’s website, there are several free applications for iOS and Android that offer a similar feature. At Xataka we already talked about them a while ago, among which are GasofApp, GasAll, Gasolineras or GasOnline, among others. They all draw on the same official data and allow you to locate the cheapest stations near your location in real time. In addition to all of them, there is also Ruta-E, which is the one we mentioned before, but the rest of the apps offer (in our opinion) much faster and easier navigation. How to see the price history of any gas station Knowing the current price is good, but if you are curious about how the price of a specific station has evolved over time, you can also do it from the Geoportal. For that, just enter this page and complete the form that appears on the screen. You have two options to check the evolution of prices: through the price history or through a timeline per gas station. To do this you must: Selectr the interval of time. You can choose between daily, weekly, monthly or yearly views, and set a start date and an end date for the period you want to analyze. Heegir data series. Below in the form will be where you can decide if you want to see the evolution of the average price of all of Spain, of an autonomous community, of a province, of a municipality or of a specific gas station. Select the fuel. The menu includes all available: 95 E5 gasoline, 98 gasoline, diesel A, diesel B, LPG, natural gas, hydrogen and many more. Choose the type of graph. You can view the data in a line or bar graph, depending on what is most comfortable for you. The result is a graph that shows the evolution of the price in the chosen period. With it you can see, for example, how much diesel cost at the gas station in your neighborhood before the situation with Iran became tense and how much it costs today. Cover image | Geoportal and engin akyurt In Xataka | Cuts are coming for the most used Cercanías line in Spain. The reason: more capacity and driverless trains

so you can see if you live in an area that is at risk

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Let’s tell you how to look at areas at risk of flooding with the new experimental map created by Google. With this tool, you can navigate and zoom into any area of ​​the world to see where there are dangers of extreme flash floods, with special interest in those river and sudden floods. For example, at the time of writing this article we find that a good part of Spain cannot absorb even one more dropwhich makes the storm feast expected in February be especially dangerous. You can see this on the Google map, especially in the west of the country. Google Flood Risk Map To enter this map you have to go to the website sites.research.google/floods. This will open a world map, with a column on the right where you can turn visualizations on or off. By default they will be shown above all areas most in danger of flash flooding what’s in the world. On this map you will be able to zoom in or activate a hybrid map to see satellite photos of the areas. You can get closer to the area you want, where you will see colored dots information that indicates the danger of flooding in each area. Here, if you click on any of the points On the left you will see a window with expanded information, especially seeing how the dangers evolve and from what source the information is obtained. In Xataka Basics | V16 beacon map: how to use it to see which ones are activated in real time in Spain

After invading the development of video games, AI enters an untouchable area with a Sony patent: the player himself

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Sony has registered a patent that proposes a future where video games can complete themselves. The document, presented in September 2024 and released this weekdescribes a system of “artificial intelligence ghosts” capable of actively intervening in PlayStation games. These virtual agents would go beyond traditional guides: they would not only show how to overcome obstacles, but they could directly take control and solve entire levels while the player watches. How it works. The patent details an assistance system with several levels of intervention. For example, “Guide Mode” would allow the ghost to show the solution to a specific problem, such as solving a puzzle or executing a precise sequence of commands, but it would have to be completed by the player. “Complete Mode”, on the other hand, would hand over total control to the artificial agent, which would overcome the obstacle autonomously. More modes. The registration document describes four modes Selectable additional features: Story Mode, Combat Mode, Exploration Mode and Full Game Mode, suggesting specialization in certain tasks, depending on the type of challenge presented to the player. The system would function as a layer superimposed on the user’s character, visible on the screen as a visual reference. In some cases, this digital ghost could even hold conversations with the player’s avatar to offer contextualized instructions. What does it feed on? The technology would be fueled by recordings of previous games, including content shared on YouTube and social networks. The original patent document justifies the need to access these videos by stating that “players can research the game or search for previous gameplay on Internet sites, but that process is time-consuming.” Help systems. Player aids have come a long way. In the ’90s, players who got stuck called support lines (Nintendo’s being especially popular) or consulted guides in magazines, full of maps and secrets. The web democratized access through databases such as GameFAQs and, later, through audiovisual content on YouTube that allowed step-by-step solutions to be seen. In fact, Playstation 5 already incorporates Game Helpa system that displays clips of other users overcoming specific sections of the game. Its application, however, leaves something to be desired. Microsoft, of course, is betting on Copilot in the form of a conversational assistant that answers questions about the game. The proposal for artificial ghosts goes one step further, going from pre-recorded content to direct intervention in the game. AI in industry. The artificial intelligence integration video game development is accelerating. In 2024Unity revealed that 62% of studios that were using its tools implemented AI in some phase of production, highlighting animation as the main application. A survey from the Game Developers Conference of the same year indicates that approximately a third of professionals in the sector were already using these technologies. Data from the Tokyo Games Show raised the figure to more than half of Japanese companies. The automation of gameplay It’s not new either. Kotaku mentions in its article successful titles such as ‘Vampire Survivors’, with semi-automatic mechanics; ‘Megabonk’, nominated for the Game Awards for its automated design; or, in general, all idle subgenrewhich has such popular examples as ‘Ball X Pit’. The debate. This technology poses a dilemma: on the one hand, it would allow more players to enjoy complex content and prevent abandonment due to frustration. It would be integrated into the accessibility options (difficulty settings, control remapping, color blind modes), without forcing anyone to use it. On the other hand… do we run the risk of losing the “challenge” of games by delegating our participation to AI agents? What’s the point of playing then? And of course, it raises multiple questions in multiplayer environments, where there will be a temptation to take credit for victories achieved by the ghost. In Xataka | The new “test” to discover whether or not an AI model is truly intelligent: play Pokémon

an army to “clean up” the most dangerous and lethal area of ​​Ukraine

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For months now, Western intelligence services and military analysts they were warning about what something deep was changing in North Korea: thanks to Russian support, the Kim Jong-un regime was beginning to accelerate the modernization of your armywith advances in missiles, drones and even signs of technical support in programs as sensitive as that of nuclear powered submarines. Moscow appeared to be breaking strategic taboos to shore up an isolated ally, but a key question remained unanswered. Now, it is beginning to become clear what the real price to pay for this military leap is. Alliance sealed with blood. As we said, the reactivated Moscow-Pyongyang axis alliance out of mutual necessity The true price of one side has been revealed with brutal clarity: North Korea is paying back its support for Russia by putting its own soldiers in the most dangerous task of the Ukrainian war. Not as advisors, nor as a symbolic rearguard, but as extreme risk meat, sent to clear minefields in active combat zones, where the probability of being killed or maimed is structurally high. The confirmation has come from Kim Jong-un himself, in an unusual gesture of propaganda transparency, and marks a qualitative leap in the degree of North Korean involvement in the European conflict. Engineers in the hell of Kursk. The North Korean soldiers deployed in Russia belong to specialized combat engineer units, sent to the Kursk region to carry out demining work after fighting with Ukrainian forces. This is a technically complex mission and psychologically devastatingeven for well-equipped professional armies, and even more so for troops coming from one of the most closed and disciplined regimes on the planet. According to the official datathe operation lasted about 120 days and resulted in the death of at least nine soldiers, although Western and South Korean intelligence services they estimate that actual North Korean personnel casualties in the war could run into the hundreds. Before these engineers, up to 15,000 troops North Koreans would have fought alongside Russian forces in the same region to expel Ukrainian units. The tacit agreement. The logic that supports this deployment It is as simple as it is disturbing. Russia, in need of men, ammunition and regeneration capacity after years of war, offers North Korea that in exchange what else do you need: fuel, food, financial aid and, above all, access to advanced military technologies that could modernize its military and its missile and weapons programs. For a regime suffocated by international sanctions, selling highly disciplined military manpower is a strategic asset. It is not just ideological or diplomatic support: it is a direct transaction in which Pyongyang exchanges human lives for economic and military oxygen. Scenery of the sacrifice. Over the weekend it was learned that the engineers’ return was celebrated in Pyongyang with a carefully designed ceremony to transform loss into epic. Kim Jong-un embraced wounded soldiers, some in wheelchairs, consoled families of the dead and awarded the dead with the highest state decorations, promising “eternal luster” to their sacrifice. The broadcast images by the KCNA agency show the leader kneeling before portraits of the fallen, placing flowers and medals, and talking about “miracles” achieved in deadly zones converted into safe spaces. All of this is part of a deliberate effort for normalizing the sending of troops abroad and strengthening internal support for a decision that, in any other context, would be politically explosive. Russian landmines laid during Ukraine’s advance in the 2022 Southern Ukraine counteroffensive. It reads “from a pure heart” and “with love from Russia” Propaganda and obedience. The official story goes beyond the tribute. North Korean state media they have spread images of soldiers advancing without hesitation through minefields or under intense fire, as well as scenes of wounded combatants committing suicide with grenades to avoid capture. It’s not just war propaganda: it’s an internal message of absolute disciplinewhere individual life is completely subordinated to the State and the leader. In this framework, the soldier is not an armed citizen, but rather an expendable strategic resource, trained to accept missions that other armies would consider almost suicidal. From ideological allies to operational partners. North Korean involvement is not limited to sending men. Pyongyang has supplied Moscow large quantities of projectiles of artillery, missiles and various weapons, de facto reactivating a mutual defense treaty inherited from the Cold War. However, the deployment of troops on the ground marks a new frontier: North Korea is no longer just a distant supplier, but an operational actor within the war. The choice of demining it is not coincidental: It is an essential, dangerous and inconspicuous function, perfect for an ally that can take losses without being accountable to public opinion. Disturbing precedent. That a State sells its soldiers to clear mines in a foreign war is not only a dark anecdote from the Ukrainian conflict, but a disturbing precedent. It demonstrates the extent to which war is becoming internationalized in layers, incorporating actors who exchange support not out of long-term strategic affinity, but out of sheer regime survival. In this scheme, North Korea has found an extreme way to break its isolation, while Russia obtains something increasingly scarce: men willing (or forced) to walk where no one else wants to. The price of this alliance is no longer measured in treaties or speeches, but in steps taken. on mined ground. Image | GoodFon, Stefan KrasowskiMinistry of Defense of Ukraine In Xataka | “It’s a level 10 Godzilla, but they only see a tiger”: South Korea’s surprising response to North Korea’s rearmament In Xataka | North Korea has been sending weapons to Russia for months. In return, Russia is giving him what he craves most: a functional army.

The Chinese ambition to lead each and every area of ​​the planet has found its next adversary: ​​Jaén

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In 2024, a Chinese delegation visited 154 Príncipe de Vergara Street in Madrid. A priori, one might think that it is nothing that does not occur relatively frequently in most capitals of the world. And it would be true. After all, the only strange thing about the matter is that, in that corner of the country, is the headquarters of the International Olive Council. What does China look like in the international olive oil market? It’s a surprisingly simple question. The ‘Asian giant’ is a leader in many things, but there is one in which it is nobody: oil. According to the statistics we haveChina represents only 4% of world oil imports. Despite the enormous amount of vegetable oils that Beijing devours, the olive is an inconsequential product on a social, economic and cultural level. However, none of that data interests us. The key is another: that consumption is expected to grow at 7% annually and that, in the medium term, are big words. And China knows it. That is why, while the international market continues to lurch, Beijing has already designed a plan to become a mixed player (it not only wants a role in marketing, but also a producer willing to sit at the table of the elders). This would not only give it a margin of security (and independence) in the country’s food policy, it would also allow it to reinforce its commitment to the modernization of rural China. And what are you going to do for it? Planting olive trees as if there were no tomorrow and learning from the best for it. Right now, the heart of Chinese production is around Longnanin Gansu province. In the Wudu district alone it has twice as many hectares as Almería and produced 56,900 tons of fresh olives in 2024 (about 8,200 of virgin oil). But the focus now It is located in Sichuan: It is a province with inland valleys, medium altitude and a climate that fits the Mediterranean olive tree like a glove. The province already had scattered plantations, but now it is destined to become the “new Jaén.” Oh really? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated? It is true that in Sichuan the orography is complex, that there may be more humidity than optimal and the mechanization costs will be high; however, the California experience (and its high-density models) is there. And if anyone can achieve it, it is precisely China. And it seems like he wants to. Or, at least, there are signs that he is going to keep all options open. As the Californian olive grove demonstrates, building a country brand is something that takes a long time. You can’t improvise. But it seems undeniable that they are getting the bases of it. It is not free for Chinese producers have already achieved win international awards. These are the first steps of what may be the only adversary that Spain will encounter on this path. Image | Vincent Eisfeld | Li Yang In Xataka | The very high oil prices are a symptom of something worse: a sector on the way to disaster

The army wants to expand the military area of ​​a privileged corner of Mallorca. His neighbors have told him not so quickly

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Cap del Pinar is a postcard place from the north of the island of Mallorca. Cliffs, coves, trees and unique views of the Mediterranean. None of that has prevented that small strip of land from motivating an institutional ‘riffrafe’ between the Alcúdia City Council (21,000 residents), where the small peninsula is located, and the Ministry of Defense. The reason: Cap del Pinar is a privileged place for locals, but also an Area of ​​Interest for National Defense. The question is how compatible both uses are. What has happened? That the future of Cap del Pinara cape located north of the island of Mallorca, has caused an institutional clash between the Government and the Alcúdia Town Hallthe locality in which the spit of land is located. The reason? For the department headed by Margarita Robles, it is a space of “national interest” for defense. For the Consistory, however, it is something more: a space for “high heritage and natural value” which plays an important role in local traditions and cannot be stolen from neighbors. Where does the problem come from? To understand it you have to go back a few decades, in the early 40’swhen the Army initiated a file of forced expropriation of the lands of The Victory. Your goal, remember The Confidentialwas to install military batteries and auxiliary services in several strategic points on the Majorcan island: Cap del Pinar and Cap Gros. In 1947, the Alcúdia City Council (the town where the first one is located) accepted the transfer, although including a small print that clarified that it was granting the land temporarily and reserving certain rights. That was 79 years ago, but the area and especially its use has continued to make people talk. Why’s that? Because the presence of the Army marked the use of the environment, which began to focus on national defense. So much so that already entering the 21st century, the Alcúdia City Council and the Government came to an agreement to guarantee that residents could enjoy Cap del Pinar, although with certain conditions. As published in April 2009 Mallorca newspaper, The pact contemplated that people could visit the military base during the summer months and respecting a maximum daily quota of 50 people. Before, yes, they needed to request a special permit, which in practice deters to quite a few neighbors. The result is that locals have been able to continue enjoying the area, although with limitations. And what happens now? That the army wants to reinforce its presence in that small (and privileged) salient in the north of Mallorca. Recently the ministry communicated to the City Council that wants to declare a barracks located right on the Cape road “Area of ​​Interest for National Defense”. In other words, it wants to expand the area it already uses as a military maneuver and shooting range to 145 hectares. Although Margarita Robles’ department is still processing the Royal Decree that will allow it to expand the “area of ​​interest”, the notice has been enough to put the Balearic Council on guard, which was quick to make a move. What has he done? A few weeks ago the municipal plenary agreed to transfer to Defense a list of allegations. Basically, the City Council warns that the expansion “could condition local powers” in matters of urban planning and heritage, in addition to the use of the environment. Because if there is something that is worrying in Alcúdia, it is that its neighbors will lose access to a space of “high natural and heritage value”. “This is our main demand. We don’t want to have to ask for permits to climb,” explains the mayorFina Batlessa, a The Confidential. Why this concern? Because it is not just any area. Beyond your environmental protectionthe Cap del Pinar peninsula is a space of tradition and enjoyment for the neighbors. Very popular excursions are organized, not counting the coves (or paths to coves) that are distributed throughout the area. The big question is… If Defense decides to expand the military zone, how would that affect the use that locals make of the environment? After all, the neighbors already have experience of what happened with the land transferred in the 1940s. Hence, the City Council’s allegations clarify that one of its objectives be “maintain the hiking and hiking activity”, “guarantee access without prior authorization” and protect the popular festivals that are celebrated in Victòria. “It should not entail unjustified limitations on the rights of citizens and municipal autonomy. Alcúdia must preserve its environment and traditions,” summarizes Linares in Mallorca Diary. In its allegations the Consistory ask For example, the expansion of the military zone does not interfere with “hiking and hiking activities” nor does it represent a “reduction in the free movement of people” during the holidays. Hunters also have a license valid until 2028. What does Defense say? The issue has generated so much controversy that the Ministry of Defense has already come out to clarify that the expansion will not affect the enjoyment of the area. He has also clarified that he does not aspire to another 145 extra hectares, but that this will be the total area that he will manage after the change, including those that he has already controlled since the 1940s. To be more precise, the focus is on a 400-meter stretch of land that will leave a stretch of road and part of the surroundings under his management. Will that affect its public use? A few days ago the department of Robles guaranteed to Mallorca Diary that both hikers and hunters will be able to continue enjoying the area “without problem.” That has not prevented the debate has escalated even beyond local and regional politics, reaching Congress, where Sumar Més has registered several questions on the topic. Images | Wikipedia (Frank Vincentz) and Selvatgi (Flickr) In Xataka | Ibiza promised them happiness with its coves. Until luxury villas and beach clubs began to privatize them with hammocks

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